The Ministry of Petroleum Resources, the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), and the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) have jointly opposed a proposed bill seeking to establish the National Commission for the Decommissioning of Oil and Gas Installations (NC-DOGI), 2024.

Their positions, according to a statement signed by NUPRC’s Head, Corporate Communications and Media, Eniola Akinkuotu on Friday, were presented at a public hearing organised by the House of Representatives Committee on Petroleum Resources (Up- stream). Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Dr. Heineken Lokpobiri, argued that setting up a new commission for de- commissioning and abandonment would duplicate existing functions already covered by the NUPRC under Sections 232 and 233 of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021. Lokpobiri noted that community concerns cited by lawmakers were already being addressed through the Host Community Development Trust Fund (HCDT), which has generated nearly ₦400 billion for community development projects. The minister warned that creating another regulatory body could deter investment, stressing that Nigeria was currently witnessing renewed upstream, midstream, and down- stream activities and new Final Investment Decisions (FIDs) under President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope administration.

He urged the committee to withdraw the bill, emphasizing that a predictable and stable legal framework was key to sustaining investor confidence. NUPRC Chief Executive, Engr. Gbenga Komolafe, also opposed the bill, saying it contradicts global best practices, as decom- missioning and abadonment were typically managed by the upstream regulator.