The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) has promised holders of Petroleum Prospecting Licences (PPLs) of its full support to enable them progress from award to first oil, as the Federal Government moves to convert idle assets into active production.

The Commission said it expects the 22 awardees from the latest licensing rounds to contribute at least 250,000 barrels of oil per day to the national production volume, a strategic addition to increase Nigeria’s output.

The Commission Chief Executive (CCE), Mrs. Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan, spoke on Tuesday, October 20, 2026, in Lagos at a two-day onboarding workshop for PPL holders from the 2022/2023 and 2024 Licensing Rounds.

She said: “For this set of awardees, we are expecting nothing less than 250,000 barrels per day in the next five years at least from the 22 awards,” Eyesan said, adding that “Nigeria remains on course to hit 3mmbopd by 2030.”

She explained that the onboarding workshop was set up to guide the PPL holders on their journey to first oil, adding that the Commission assembled subject matter experts from the NUPRC and leading professionals from the legal and financial sectors to provide first-hand guidance on financing, compliance and commerciality.

She stated that in the first day of the workshop, there were five key sessions cutting across the entire journey from award to first oil, to ensure awardees understand their obligations and opportunities under the PIA.

These, she said, include regulatory framework, work programme obligations, exploration, appraisal and commerciality, field development and well operations, production optimization, and exploration financing.

Eyesan urged the awardees to be deliberate, technical, and accountable in executing their work programmes, warning that the Commission will no longer tolerate speculative holding of assets.

Meanwhile, Eyesan told journalists that the Commission has issued a directive that by October 31, 2026, all idle licences will be revoked in line with the drill-or-drop policy.

She added: “We have issued a directive that by the end of this month, those who were awarded licenses, and have not done anything within the stipulated time – three years for those onshore and five years for those offshore – the Commission will call in those blocks. It’s going to be drill or drop. This is standard practice all over the world. In the UK, in the Netherlands, all over the world.” (Daily Trust)