Pre-Qualification: NUPRC Shortlists Oil Firms for 2025 Licensing Bid

By Adedapo Adesanya

The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) has announced that it has shortlisted oil firms for Nigeria’s 2025 oil and gas licensing round after the completion of the pre-qualification process.

In a Tuesday statement signed by Mr Eniola Akinkuotu, the commission’s Head of Media and Strategic Communication, the agency disclosed that it has formally notified successful applicants.

President Bola Tinubu formally approved the 2025 oil licensing round in December 2025 as part of efforts to attract fresh investment into the country’s upstream petroleum sector.

Mr Akinkuoto disclosed that the shortlisting exercise was done on March 16, 2026, in line with the 2025 Licensing Round Guidelines, and applicants will transition from screening to competitive bidding.

The statement confirmed that shortlisted applicants would proceed to access the subsurface data required for bid preparation.

The statement reads, “The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) wishes to inform the public that it has completed the pre-qualification stage of the 2025 Licensing Round and has notified successful pre-qualified applicants accordingly.

“This was done on March 16, 2026, in line with the 2025 Licensing Round Guidelines.”

The statement added, “With the pre-qualification stage successfully now completed, the Commission will, from today, March 17, 2026, permit successful applicants to lease data in a commercial bid and prepare for the technical submissions.

“Please note that pre-qualified applicants are mandated to lease data only from the two data sources (as applicable) and upload evidence of payment as a prerequisite to the submission of bids.”

According to public data, the bid round offers 50 oil and gas blocks located across several sedimentary basins, including the Niger Delta, Anambra, Bida, Benue Trough, and Chad basins, to boost exploration activity, increase reserves, and support long-term crude production growth.

Licensing rounds have been a key feature of Nigeria’s upstream sector for decades. Major rounds were conducted in 2000, 2005 and 2007, while the 2010s saw smaller, targeted rounds for marginal fields and deepwater assets.

These exercises were designed to attract investors and stimulate production, although some blocks awarded in earlier rounds stalled due to technical, financial or regulatory challenges.