The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), has called for the strengthening of the African Petroleum Regulators’ Forum (AFRIPERF) to harmonise energy regulation across Africa and unlock large-scale investment in the continent’s oil and gas sector.
The NUPRC’s Head of Media and Strategic Communications, Eniola Akinkuotu, in a statement, said its Chief Executive, Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan, made the call at the pre-opening of the Nigerian International Energy Summit (NIES), in Abuja on Monday.
The NUPRC boss said inconsistent regulatory frameworks across African countries remain a major deterrent to cross-border energy projects.
In September 2025, NUPRC led 16 African countries in signing the AFRIPERF charter in Accra, Ghana, with the aim of building harmonised and sustainable petroleum industry in Africa.
On Monday, Eyesan said a unified regulatory voice would significantly lower investment risks and accelerate development.
“Investors are not deterred by Africa’s geology; they are deterred by inconsistent rules. AFRIPERF was established to institutionalise regulatory convergence, provide predictability, and enable faster execution of cross-border projects that deliver shared prosperity,” she said.
Eyesan, represented by NUPRC Director, Edu Inyang, said AFRIPERF, which was launched in collaboration with petroleum regulators across the continent, is already advancing aligned standards, shared data platforms, capacity building and a unified African voice on global energy and climate platforms.
She explained that Africa’s prospects for shared prosperity are underpinned by the scale of its natural and human capital.
She noted that the continent holds approximately 8 per cent of global oil and gas reserves, nearly 30 per cent of known critical mineral resources, and a population exceeding 1.5 billion people, which is largely youthful and economically active.
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“When these advantages are developed through coordinated policies, integrated infrastructure and aligned regulatory frameworks, they can drive industrialisation, strengthen regional value chains, enhance energy security and deliver inclusive growth,” she said.
She reaffirmed that oil and gas resources remain integral to Africa’s development, supporting electricity generation, clean cooking, petrochemicals, fertiliser production and public revenues that fund infrastructure and social services, even as the continent pursues a just and orderly energy transition.
According to her, over 180 trillion cubic feet of discovered natural gas across Africa remains unsanctioned for development, largely due to fragmented markets and unaligned fiscal and regulatory regimes.
Eyesan urged African regulators and policymakers to deepen cooperation by strengthening AFRIPERF, expanding regional gas and electricity networks, adopting shared sustainability standards and maintaining a unified African stance in global energy and climate discussions.
“Our voice must be one, our frameworks aligned, and our actions coordinated. Only then can we unlock the full transformative power of Africa’s resources for our people,” she said.
