The Commission Chief Executive of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan, has decried the inconsistent regulatory frameworks across African countries, saying it emain one of the biggest obstacles to cross-border energy investments.
Eyesan stated this in a keynote address to the Nigerian International Energy Summit where she was represented by the Director, NUPRC, Edu Inyang.
According to a statement issued by the Head, Media and Strategic Communication of the commission, Eniola Akinkuotu, she called for the strengthening of the African Petroleum Regulators’ Forum as a continent-wide platform for regulatory alignment.
Speaking on the theme “One Africa, One Regulator Voice: Aligned Policies for Continental Prosperity and Investment,” the NUPRC boss said Africa’s energy challenge is no longer about resource availability, but about regulatory fragmentation that raises costs, delays projects and scares away investors.
“Investors are not deterred by Africa’s geology; they are deterred by inconsistent rules,” Eyesan said.
She noted that AFRIPERF was created to address this gap by driving regulatory convergence, improving predictability and accelerating the execution of cross-border oil and gas projects that can deliver shared prosperity across the continent.
“AFRIPERF was established to institutionalise regulatory convergence, provide predictability and enable faster execution of cross-border projects that deliver shared prosperity,” she added.
Eyesan explained that the forum, launched in collaboration with petroleum regulators across Africa, is already making progress in aligning technical standards, developing shared data platforms, building regulatory capacity and projecting a unified African voice at global energy and climate engagements.
The NUPRC boss noted that Africa’s prospects for industrialisation and inclusive growth remain immense if its resources are developed through coordinated policies and aligned regulatory frameworks.
“Africa holds about eight per cent of global oil and gas reserves, nearly 30 per cent of known critical mineral resources, and has a population exceeding 1.5 billion people, most of whom are youthful and economically active.
“When these advantages are harnessed through integrated infrastructure, coordinated policies and aligned regulations, they can drive industrialisation, strengthen regional value chains, enhance energy security and deliver inclusive growth” Eyesan added.
Despite the global energy transition, Eyesan reaffirmed that oil and gas will remain central to Africa’s development for decades, supporting electricity generation, clean cooking, fertiliser and petrochemical production, as well as public revenues required to fund infrastructure, healthcare and education.
