Mkpoikana Udoma
Port Harcourt — The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, NUPRC, and the Nigerian Nuclear Regulatory Authority, NNRA, have commenced a strategic partnership aimed at reducing regulatory costs in Nigeria’s oil and gas industry, while strengthening radiological safety standards across upstream operations.
The collaboration was agreed during a meeting between the Commission Chief Executive of NUPRC, Mrs. Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan, and the Director-General/Chief Executive Officer of NNRA, Dr. Yau Idris, at the Commission’s headquarters in Abuja.
The initiative is expected to streamline regulatory processes, eliminate overlaps between agencies and improve the ease of doing business for operators in the upstream petroleum sector.
Speaking during the meeting, Eyesan said reducing regulatory bottlenecks and multiple compliance requirements was critical to attracting investment and lowering operational costs in the industry.
“The only way we can safeguard investments is to reduce our cost of operations and when you have multiplicity of laws, the likelihood is that you will have higher costs because each law normally will come with its own fee and charges,” Eyesan stated.
She explained that both agencies had identified key areas of collaboration and would work together to close existing regulatory gaps affecting operators.
“We have identified critical areas on both sides and we believe that as we collaborate, we can close existing gaps,” she added.
According to the NUPRC boss, senior officials have already been nominated by the Commission to work closely with the NNRA in developing practical solutions that will strengthen regulation without increasing the burden on investors.
The NNRA, which regulates the possession, use, transportation and disposal of radioactive materials, plays a key role in overseeing radiation-related activities in the oil and gas sector, particularly in well logging, industrial radiography and nucleonic gauging operations.
Speaking on the partnership, NNRA Director-General, Dr. Yau Idris, said the upstream petroleum industry remains one of the largest users of radioactive sources and radiation-emitting equipment in Nigeria, making cooperation between both agencies essential.
“The goal is a single window approach, where both agencies share information rather than requiring operators to submit the same data twice,” Idris said.
He noted that the arrangement would reduce duplication of regulatory requirements and simplify compliance procedures for oil and gas companies.
Idris further explained that the collaboration would also address concerns relating to Naturally Occurring Radioactive Materials, NORM, which are often brought to the surface during oil and gas extraction activities.
According to him, the NNRA is seeking NUPRC’s support to ensure operators conduct radiological impact assessments as part of their Environmental Impact Assessments and integrate NORM management protocols into upstream environmental guidelines.
Both agencies also agreed to collaborate on training programmes, technical capacity development and knowledge-sharing initiatives aimed at strengthening radiation protection measures and ensuring safer oil and gas operations.
SweetCrude Reports view the partnership as a significant step towards regulatory harmonization, cost reduction and improved operational efficiency in Nigeria’s upstream petroleum sector.
