The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) has called for the speedy completion of its proposed headquarters in Abuja, saying the prolonged delay is undermining the image of Nigeria’s oil and gas investment environment.
NUPRC Board Chairman, Senator Magnus Abe, said it was embarrassing for major international oil and gas companies coming to Nigeria to discuss multibillion-dollar investments to have to visit different Commission offices across Abuja to conduct business.
“It is a thing of great embarrassment to this country when major oil and gas companies come to Nigeria to discuss investments worth billions of dollars, only to meet the regulator in a block of flats and from there proceed to other parts of the city to see different departments to conduct transactions with the NUPRC,” Abe said.
He added: “This image is not just bad for the country, but bad for business.”
Abe spoke during an inspection of the Commission’s proposed permanent headquarters, known as The Barrel, located in Abuja’s Central Business District.
The 10-storey facility, designed in the form of a convex, curved cylinder that bulges outward at its centre, is expected to accommodate between 900 and 1,000 people.
The project was initiated in 2020 but remains incomplete, leaving the upstream petroleum regulator operating from smaller offices at different locations within the Federal Capital Territory.
Abe said completing the headquarters would provide a central location for the Commission’s operations and engagements with oil and gas industry stakeholders.
According to him, the facility would also project greater confidence in Nigeria’s petroleum sector and improve the country’s image before potential investors.
“The edifice will enable the industry to operate from one central location, bring pride to our nation and serve as a symbol of confidence,” he said.
The NUPRC chairman also commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for what he described as strong support, policy clarity and a clear vision for Nigeria’s oil and gas industry.
Abe said the impact of the administration’s policies was already being reflected in renewed investment activity in Nigeria’s upstream petroleum sector.
He added that the investments were creating employment and business opportunities, supporting development in host communities and increasing government revenues.
NUPRC sets 2027 completion target
NUPRC Chief Executive, Mrs Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan, asked the contractor handling the project to accelerate construction and deliver the headquarters by the first quarter of 2027.
The Managing Director of Julius Berger Nigeria Plc, Engineer Peer Lubasch, in response, promised that the contractor would make efforts to meet the timeline.
The proposed headquarters is expected to bring the Commission’s operations under one roof and provide a central interface between the upstream regulator and oil and gas companies operating or seeking to invest in Nigeria.
For NUPRC, completing the project is therefore not only an administrative necessity but also part of efforts to strengthen the regulator’s institutional image as Nigeria seeks to attract fresh investment into its upstream petroleum sector.
