By Boluwatife Oshadiya | August 9, 2026
Key Points
- NNPC Ltd. says oil licensing rounds and oil block allocations fall under NUPRC’s statutory mandate
- Crude oil production rose from 1.60 million barrels per day in April 2025 to 1.67 million barrels per day in April 2026
- NNPC says gas output increased five per cent over the same period as it defended its operational performance
Main Story
The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Ltd. (NNPC Ltd.) has rejected criticism of its management over the recently concluded oil licensing round, saying the process falls under the statutory mandate of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC).
NNPC Chief Corporate Communications Officer, Andy Odeh, made the clarification in a statement issued in Abuja following media reports attributed to the Oil and Gas Professionals Forum (OGPF), which questioned the performance of the company’s management under Group Chief Executive Officer, Bayo Ojulari.
Odeh said the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021 assigns responsibility for conducting oil licensing rounds and allocating oil blocks to NUPRC. He added that NNPC Ltd. has operated as a commercial entity since its incorporation and does not possess regulatory or allocative powers.
The company also defended its production performance under the current leadership. According to NNPC’s Monthly Performance Report, average crude oil production stood at 1.60 million barrels per day (mbpd), including condensate, in April 2025 before rising to 1.67 mbpd in April 2026.
The company said the increase represents approximately 80,000 barrels per day, or six per cent growth. Gas production also rose from 7,354 million standard cubic feet per day (mmscfd) in April 2025 to 7,729 mmscfd in April 2026, representing five per cent growth.
“Since its incorporation, NNPC Ltd. has operated strictly as a commercial entity and does not possess regulatory or allocative powers,” Andy Odeh, Chief Corporate Communications Officer, NNPC Ltd.
What’s Being Said
NNPC said the production figures are documented in its publicly available Monthly Performance Report and urged industry analysts and professional associations to verify information through appropriate channels before publication.
The NUPRC has separately emphasised its regulatory role and its collaboration with NNPC. In February 2026, NUPRC Chief Executive Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan said the two institutions had aligned objectives while stressing the Commission’s responsibility for regulation and efforts to improve the operating environment.
What’s Next
- NNPC Ltd. is expected to continue publishing monthly performance data covering crude oil and gas production
- NUPRC will retain responsibility for upstream licensing and allocation processes under the PIA framework
- NNPC Ltd. says it will continue engaging stakeholders while protecting the reputation of the company and its leadership from what it considers false or unsubstantiated claims
The Bottom Line:
NNPC’s response draws a clear institutional line between its commercial role and NUPRC’s regulatory mandate. The production figures also give the company a measurable basis for defending its current management, shifting the debate from responsibility for licensing to the performance of its core upstream operations.
 has rejected criticism of its management over the recently concluded oil licensing...){kind=link}