The newly appointed Chief Executive of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, Mrs Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan, has assumed office, pledging to reposition Nigeria’s upstream oil and gas sector, boost investments, and raise oil and gas production in line with the Petroleum Industry Act 2021.
Eyesan formally assumed office on Tuesday, December 23, 2025, following a handover from the immediate past Chief Executive, Gbenga Komolafe, who resigned last week. Her appointment followed President Bola Tinubu’s nomination and the approval of the National Assembly.
According to a statement on Wednesday by the Head, Media and Strategic Communications of the NUPRC, Eniola Akinkuotu, the new chief executive outlined her vision during her first town hall meeting with management and staff of the Commission.
At the meeting, Eyesan said her priority was to make the NUPRC a business enabler and reignite investments in the upstream sector, stressing that effective regulation must support growth, investment and value creation.
“The goal is that we must enable the industry; we are regulators. We must enable the industry from our interactions with the stakeholders, from our interactions with everybody. My main objective is to ensure that we make a difference. I believe the NUPRC is at the centre of the industry,” she said.
She also set a firm ambition to grow Nigeria’s crude oil output and significantly increase gas production, aligning with government policy objectives in the upstream sector.
With over three decades of experience in the oil and gas industry, Eyesan promised to entrench digitisation, transparency and operational efficiency at the Commission, describing them as critical to restoring investor confidence.
She assured staff that, with their support and cooperation, the NUPRC would become a gold-standard regulator in Africa. She further pledged to prioritise capacity development, deepen technical competence and sustain engagement with stakeholders, labour unions and professional teams.
On her leadership style, Eyesan promised an open-door policy and frequent engagement with staff as the industry enters a new phase of transformation.
“If we work together, we can unleash opportunities; I don’t see impediments, only opportunities,” she added.
