The Commission Chief Executive (CCE) of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), Engr. Gbenga Komolafe, is an astute leader whose visionary leadership has reshaped and transformed the upstream petroleum sector of the nation’s economy.
Engr. Komolafe is a Nigerian engineer, lawyer and petroleum and gas industry expert. He was appointed in 2021 as the Pioneer Chief Executive Officer of the NUPRC by former President Muhammadu Buhari, shortly after the enactment of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA).
Born in 1963 in Igbara-Oke, Ifedore Local Government Area of Ondo State, Nigeria, Engr. Komolafe attended his primary and secondary education in Ondo State before proceeding to University of Ilorin where he earned a bachelor’s degree in engineering in 1987.
He earned master’s degrees in industrial and labour relations in 1995 and industrial and production engineering in 1998 from the University of Ibadan before enrolling at the University of Benin where he earned a law degree in 2006. He attended Nigerian Law School, Bwari, Abuja and was called to the Nigerian Bar in 2008.
He served at the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) in various capacities including as Group General Manager, Special Duties, Group General Manager, Crude Oil Marketing Division and Executive Director (commercial) Pipelines and Petroleum Marketing Company (PPMC).
He is credited for formulating several strategic policies including electronic tracking of petroleum products distribution nationwide. Komolafe is a Fellow of Nigerian Society of Engineers and a member of the Nigerian Bar Association.
The Creation Of NUPRC
The NUPRC was created by the PIA in 2021 with the introduction of comprehensive reforms to enhance transparency, attract investment, and improve governance in the oil and gas sector. It replaced previous laws, restructuring the industry to promote efficiency and accountability.
The PIA empowered the NUPRC to be responsible for the technical and commercial regulation of upstream business in the Nigerian oil and gas industry. The Commission also has the statutory responsibility of ensuring compliance to petroleum laws, regulations and guidelines in the upstream oil and gas sector.
The discharge of these responsibilities involves monitoring of operations at drilling sites, production wells, production platforms and flow stations, crude oil export terminals, and all pipelines carrying crude oil and natural gas. It ensures that the government benefits economically from petroleum resources for shared prosperity.
NUPRC has the mandate of supervising all upstream petroleum operations being carried out under licences and leases in the country.
The Commission also monitors upstream operations to ensure that they are in line with national goals and aspirations including those relating to Natural Gas Flare elimination and monetization, Domestic Gas Delivery Obligations and Domestic crude oil supply obligations.
NUPRC ensures that health and safety and environmental regulations conform with national and international best oil field practice. It also ensures timely and accurate payments of rents, royalties and other revenue due to the government from upstream petroleum operations.
NUPRC among other numerous functions maintains records on upstream petroleum operations, particularly on matters relating to petroleum reserves, production/exports, licences and leases. It also advises government and relevant government agencies on technical matters and public policies that may have impact on the administration and upstream petroleum activities.
Engr. Komolafe At NUPRC
On assumption of office, shortly after his confirmation by the Nigerian Senate in September 2021, as the Pioneer Commission Chief Executive of NUPRC, Engr. Komolafe, having the full understanding that the sector, prior to the PIA, was governed by a complex and outdated legal framework, characterized by lack of clear regulations, overlapping responsibilities and insufficient incentives for investment and production, wasted no time to work towards the transformation of the sector.
Standing on the provisions of the PIA, Engr. Komolafe and his team at NUPRC developed seventeen (17) regulations and officially gazetted them. While eight (8) are awaiting gazetting and an additional four (4) are under development. This is being done to ensure regulatory certainty and predictability in order to attract investments into the sector.
He also ensured the speedy executive of Host Community Development Regulation and Incorporation of Host Communities Development Trust Fund (HCDTF), to curb rampant community restiveness to thrive, promote partnerships and achieve shared prosperity. The Commission also enabled the incorporation of one hundred and forty-two (142) Host Communities Development Trust (HCDT) at the Corporate Affairs Commission as at May 19, 2025. And facilitated the remittances of over N97 billion and $149 million during the same period.
NUPRC under Komolafe, launched two key projects which are, the Engineering Audit of Upstream Measurement Equipment and Facilities in the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry and the Advance Cargo Declaration Solution to save government billions of Dollars against federation revenue leakage and curb crude oil theft in a non-kinetic manner.
The Commission has addressed leakages through regulatory reforms and a strategic overhaul of the upstream petroleum sector, thereby improving revenue generated for the Government. Over the past three (3) years, the Commission has consistently exceeded its revenue targets. Last year, the Commission surpassed its approved annual budgeted collection of over N6, 984,391,625.00 billion by 84%.
Looking back after four years of excellent leadership at the NUPRC, one is thrilled at the achievements recorded under Engr. Komolafe. As part of its three (3) years in the transformation and innovation of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Sector, the Commission launched the Project One Million initiative in October 2024.
The project aims to increase oil production by an additional one million barrels per day to achieve the presidential target of 2.5 million barrels per day production by 2026. This is being monitored by the Commission’s Production Monitoring Centre.
NUPRC, under Komolafe, has successfully conducted the first automated digital licensing bid round during the commercial bid conference, where technically qualified bids were transparently evaluated using a computer-based points system in line with the provisions of Section 74 (2) (b) of the PIA.
The Commission also successfully operationalized the barging and trucking permit portal in collaboration with government security forces, who have also been granted access to the system. This integration, according to NUPRC, has significantly enhanced security by ensuring that only authorized trucks and barges, as verified by security personnel, are permitted to operate, thereby reducing incidents of theft.
NUPRC opened a frontier exploration fund account with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) into which the 30% of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd) and profit gas is to be paid. It also facilitated the drilling of three wells in the frontier basins.
The Commission facilitated the establishment of three (3) crude oil terminals to expand oil evacuation/export infrastructure as well as reduce the impact of losses due to oil theft on the NCTL corridor.
It also adopted a National Grid System for acreage management in consultation with the Surveyor-General of the Federation.
NUPRC was awarded by SERVICOM in 2024 as the overall best performing parastatal for its excellent service delivery. The Commission was also recognized as the Best Federal MDA in digital transformation at the Nigeria GOVTECH Conference and Awards.
