Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
Lawyers have urged the Authority Chief Executive of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Rabiu Abdullahi Umar, and his team to pursue amendments to the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) and address issues relating to regulatory overlap and stakeholder engagement.
Oil and gas sector lawyers shared their views with Nairametrics on Tuesday, June 30, 2026, while assessing Umar's commitments to stakeholders at the NMDPRA General Counsel and Legal Advisers Forum 2026, which was attended by the publication. The development comes two months after President Bola Ahmed Tinubu approved the removal of Umar's predecessor, Saidu Mohammed, and nominated Umar as the new Chief Executive of the NMDPRA, subject to Senate confirmation. The Presidency said the leadership change was aimed at strengthening oversight in the oil and gas sector and improving regulatory performance.
Speaking at the forum, Umar said compliance remains a shared value between the Authority and the legal leadership of licensed operators. According to him, the broader objective of compliance is to create an industry characterised by certainty, predictability, transparency, and confidence, thereby deepening a sector capable of supporting Nigeria's broader economic aspirations.
He said the Petroleum Industry Act 2021 fundamentally altered the legal and regulatory landscape of the industry by creating new institutions and establishing new market frameworks. "We will continue to strengthen regulatory clarity, encourage responsible investment, and foster the collaborative relationships that are essential to achieving the objectives of the PIA," he said.
Also speaking, Dr Joseph Tolorunse, Authority Secretary and Legal Adviser of the NMDPRA, said regulators should evolve from enforcement agencies into investment facilitators by leveraging artificial intelligence, data analytics, and continuous stakeholder engagement, among other strategies. He also called on operators to ensure timely regulatory compliance, ethical business conduct, and accurate reporting.
Abimbola Ademola, SAN, in an exclusive interview with Nairametrics on the Authority Chief Executive's remarks, said the Petroleum Industry Act "needs serious amendments" because many of its provisions are impracticable and do not align with current realities and international best practices. He stressed that there is a serious need to amend the PIA, especially because it contains "many ambiguities."
Citing what he described as one of those ambiguities, he pointed to the Act's description of the functions of the regulatory authorities. "There is an overlap in terms of the functions that should be performed by the NMDPRA and the NUPRC," he said. He advised that there should be a clear-cut definition of the roles of the regulatory authorities in the referenced legislation.
For his part, Barrister Akin Oladimeji said there should be greater synergy between the NMDPRA and the NUPRC in revenue administration and in carrying out their duties under the Petroleum Industry Act to eliminate regulatory overlap. He said a major legal issue is the issuance of regulations without adequate consultation with stakeholders.
"The outcome of these regulations sometimes does not reflect what the stakeholders proposed during stakeholder engagement, and it ultimately affects investors' confidence in the Nigerian oil and gas sector," he said. He warned that when investors lose confidence due to legal uncertainty surrounding certain regulatory provisions, international oil companies (IOCs) may reconsider their investments in Nigeria.
The call for amendments comes amid broader efforts by both the NMDPRA and the NUPRC to end regulatory overlaps and boost investor confidence. In May 2026, Umar paid a courtesy visit to the headquarters of the NUPRC in Abuja, where both agencies pledged deeper collaboration to eliminate regulatory uncertainties and strengthen investor confidence across Nigeria's petroleum industry.
The meeting, hosted by the Commission Chief Executive of the NUPRC, Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan, focused on strengthening cooperation between both regulators and creating a more coordinated regulatory framework across Nigeria's upstream, midstream, and downstream petroleum sectors. According to a statement issued by the NUPRC, both agencies reaffirmed their shared responsibility for the overall health and stability of Nigeria's oil and gas industry.
A major issue discussed during the visit was the need to address regulatory uncertainties that have recently affected investor and operator confidence in the sector. Speaking on the outcome of the meeting, Eyesan said the engagement reflected a strong sense of shared purpose between both institutions, adding that closer coordination was already yielding positive results for the industry.
Umar, a seasoned executive with over 25 years of experience across the energy, manufacturing, and infrastructure sectors, was nominated by President Tinubu in April 2026 to lead the NMDPRA. He holds a degree in Accounting from Bayero University and is an alumnus of Harvard Business School. He previously held top executive positions in the Dangote Group, bringing a wealth of private-sector experience to the regulatory body.
In his new role, Umar is expected to bring a fresh perspective to the regulation of Nigeria's midstream and downstream petroleum sector, with a focus on transparency, stakeholder engagement, and regulatory certainty. He has pledged that the Authority will approach regulation with "humility and openness," promising fair and consistent enforcement and ongoing dialogue with industry players.
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