By Seun Ibiyemi
The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) has issued a final reminder to prospective investors, announcing that the window for pre-qualification applications for the Nigeria 2025 Licensing Round will close on Friday, February 27, 2026.
In a public notice released on Wednesday, the Commission stated that the registration and submission portal would shut at 4:30 p.m. in line with Section 11.2 of the Licensing Round Guidelines.
“The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) hereby notifies the general public that registration and submission of applications for Pre-Qualification under the Nigeria 2025 Licensing Round shall close at 4.30pm on Friday, 27 February 2026, in accordance with Section 11.2 of the Licensing Round Guidelines,” the notice read.
The Commission urged all applicants to ensure full compliance with stipulated submission requirements within the prescribed timeline.
The 2025 Licensing Round, which commenced in December 2025, offers 50 oil and gas blocks located across onshore, swamp/shallow water and offshore terrains in diverse basins. The Federal Government is targeting about $10 billion in investments through the exercise.
Authorities also project that the licensing round could add up to two billion barrels to Nigeria’s oil reserves over the next decade, with an estimated peak production of 400,000 barrels per day once the awarded blocks become fully operational.
Commission Chief Executive of NUPRC, Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan, recently explained that signature bonuses for the 2025 round have been set within a value range designed to reduce entry barriers and prioritise technical competence, credible work programmes, financial strength and the ability to deliver early production.
According to Eyesan, the signature bonuses now range between $3 million and $7 million, a move aimed at increasing competitiveness and responding to global capital mobility.
She described the 2025 Licensing Round as more than a bidding process, noting that it signals Nigeria’s deliberate effort to reposition its upstream petroleum sector for long-term, serious investment.
“To therefore achieve this objective, a structured, transparent licensing round is essential. Nigeria is ready to be the beautiful bride to capital and playroom for advanced technological deployment for hydrocarbon recovery,” she said.
Eyesan further emphasised that the Commission is legally mandated to conduct licensing rounds in a periodic, transparent, open and fully competitive manner, adding that the entire process would be guided strictly by published rules, clearly defined bid parameters and enforceable evaluation criteria.
The licensing process comprises five stages: registration and pre-qualification, data acquisition, technical bid submission, evaluation and a commercial bid conference. Only applicants with strong technical and financial credentials and credible development plans will advance, with winners to emerge through a transparent, merit-based procedure.
The round has received the approval of Bola Ahmed Tinubu, as part of broader efforts to boost reserves, enhance production capacity and attract sustainable upstream investment into Nigeria’s oil and gas industry.
