ICPC, NUPRC Deepen Anti-Corruption Collaboration to Boost Upstream Petroleum Sector
By Pan Afric Reporters
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) have pledged to deepen collaboration on transparency, accountability and regulatory compliance in Nigeria’s upstream petroleum sector.
The development was contained in a press statement issued by the Head, Media and Public Communications, ICPC, J. Okor Odey, on Friday, September 11, 2026, following a courtesy visit by the NUPRC Chief Executive, Mrs Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan, and members of her management team to the ICPC headquarters in Abuja.
Receiving the NUPRC delegation, ICPC Chairman, Dr Musa Adamu Aliyu, SAN, reaffirmed the Commission’s readiness to support initiatives aimed at strengthening integrity and accountability within the petroleum industry.
Aliyu stressed the strategic importance of NUPRC to Nigeria’s economy, warning that challenges affecting the effectiveness of the upstream regulator could have far-reaching consequences for the country’s economic wellbeing.
He therefore called for stronger institutional collaboration between both commissions to promote transparency, integrity and effective regulatory oversight in the sector.
“Integrity in your sector is very important. We need investors, and if we are not transparent, it will be difficult for NUPRC to operate optimally,” Aliyu said.
The ICPC Chairman added that corruption tends to thrive where institutional safeguards and systems are weak, making robust governance mechanisms essential to sustaining investor confidence and improving sector performance.
Aliyu also commended NUPRC for its strong performance in the ICPC’s Ethics and Integrity Compliance Scorecard (EICS), describing the achievement as evidence of the regulator’s commitment to ethical standards and institutional integrity.
He identified information sharing and mutual trust as critical components of effective anti-corruption enforcement, noting that the ICPC would benefit from NUPRC’s technical expertise in investigations involving the petroleum sector.
The ICPC Chairman further called for closer cooperation in procurement processes and initiatives aimed at blocking wastages, leakages and other avenues through which public resources could be compromised.
Earlier, the NUPRC Commission Chief Executive, Mrs Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan, said the upstream petroleum sector remained a major source of revenue for Nigeria, stressing that the capital-intensive nature of the industry required effective regulation, strong governance and an investment-friendly environment.
Eyesan described the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) as a game changer in restructuring Nigeria’s petroleum regulatory framework and improving investor confidence, particularly following a significant decline in investments in the sector over the years.
She said NUPRC was also working to unlock Nigeria’s vast gas resources while strengthening governance across upstream operations.
On the licensing process, Eyesan disclosed that the Commission was reviewing the qualification criteria for its regular bidding exercises following challenges involving some indigenous operators who lacked the financial and technical capacity to develop awarded assets.
She also cited disputes that had stalled the development of some petroleum assets as another issue being addressed by the regulator.
The NUPRC chief executive further disclosed that the Commission would organise an onboarding programme for successful awardees in October, expressing the regulator’s intention to involve the ICPC in the exercise.
According to her, the participation of the anti-corruption agency would help sensitise operators on good governance, integrity and regulatory compliance from the outset of their engagement with the sector.
Eyesan expressed appreciation to the ICPC for its support and assured that NUPRC would continue to collaborate with the Commission and share relevant concerns towards strengthening its operations.
The renewed collaboration between the two institutions is expected to reinforce integrity safeguards in the upstream petroleum industry while supporting a regulatory environment capable of attracting investment and promoting sustainable development of Nigeria’s oil and gas resources.
