Skip to main content

NUPRC’s Gbenga Komolafe Makes List of Continental Experts to Speak at Pan-African Parliament 2025 Session




Gbenga Komolafe, Chief Executive of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), has been listed among leading continental experts invited to address the Sixth Ordinary Session of the Pan-African Parliament (PAP) in November 2025.

The invitation — extended to Komolafe in his capacity as both NUPRC Chief Executive and interim President of the Africa Forum for Petroleum Regulators and Frameworks (AFRIPERF) — marks a rare recognition of Nigeria’s leadership in upstream oil and gas reforms under the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

The Bureau of the Pan-African Parliament, in a letter dated October 17, 2025, invited Komolafe to deliver a paper on ‘Legislative Frameworks for Sustainable Upstream Regulation in Africa’s Oil and Gas Sector’ during the upcoming session.

“This topic explores how robust legislative reforms can advance sustainability in Africa’s upstream oil and gas operations, inviting insights from your leadership at NUPRC and as Acting Chairman of AFRIPERF,” the letter reads.

According to the Bureau, the Parliament looks forward to Komolafe’s reflections on Nigeria’s Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) and how its model of transparency, community inclusion, and investment-friendly regulation can guide continental efforts toward a harmonised energy governance framework.

The invitation noted that insights from Nigeria’s recent petroleum reforms would help PAP develop model laws across member states to improve transparency, environmental standards, and revenue fairness in the extractive sector.

This is the second time in recent years that a Nigerian public official has been invited to address the PAP’s plenary session — a platform traditionally reserved for African thought leaders and reformers whose work has contributed to the continent’s development agenda.

Komolafe’s recognition, observers say, underscores how far-reaching the impact of the PIA and its subsequent implementation has become under Tinubu’s reform-driven administration.

Since assuming office as NUPRC’s Chief Executive, Komolafe has championed a new culture of transparency and performance in Nigeria’s upstream sector. His leadership has been credited with streamlining licensing procedures, enforcing environmental accountability, and restoring investor confidence in the industry.

Under his watch, Nigeria’s crude oil production has recovered to around 1.7 million barrels per day, while gas flaring has been reduced to 7.16 percent — one of the lowest levels in two decades.

The PIA’s fiscal clarity and community development provisions have also improved relations between oil companies and host communities, setting new standards for responsible resource management.

The Bureau of the Pan-African Parliament said Komolafe’s address would form part of the session’s broader agenda to support the African Union’s Agenda 2063 — particularly its goals of inclusive growth, environmental protection, and energy transition across the continent.

Analysts view the invitation as a milestone not just for Komolafe but for Nigeria’s global reputation as a reform-minded energy leader. They argue that the Tinubu administration’s ongoing efforts to institutionalise transparency and accountability in the oil and gas sector have repositioned the country as a credible voice in continental economic governance.

By being selected to address the plenary, Komolafe joins a distinguished circle of Africans whose work in regulatory innovation and sustainable development has shaped continental policymaking.

His participation is expected to strengthen collaboration among African energy regulators and advance the continent’s quest for a just and inclusive energy transition.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Court Sets Aside Arrest, Remand, Wanted Declaration Against Hammed Tajudeen Akanbi

A Magistrate Court sitting in Ogba, Ikeja, Lagos, has set aside its earlier ex-parte order authorizing the arrest, remand, and “wanted” declaration of Hammed Tajudeen Akanbi, also known as Hammed Ajiran. The development follows the earlier declaration of Akanbi as wanted for alleged multiple murder by the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Moshood Olorundare Jimoh, on February 19, 2026. However, in a ruling delivered today, Magistrate L.A. Owolabi of Magistrate Court 3 nullified the ex-parte order initially granted on February 16, 2026. In his decision, Magistrate Owolabi held that the order was obtained through the concealment of material facts. The court specifically noted that the counsel who filed and argued the application, Nosa Watson Uhumwangho, was under suspension by the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee at the time and therefore lacked the right of audience before the court. The ruling sparked jubilation among members of the youth wing of the Ojomu royal family, who...
Post a Comment
Read more

Lagos Lawyer, Ajulo, Labels AIG Moshood Jimoh 'Incompetent,' Demands Independent Review of Ajiran Killings Probe

A Lagos-based lawyer, Adedotun Ajulo Esq, has described the Assistant Inspector-General of Police (AIG), Moshood Jimoh, as "incompetent and renewed his call for an independent review of the police investigation into the killings in Ajiran Community. Ajulo made the remarks in a statement issued in response to a publication titled "Ajiran killings: Groups, Stakeholders Exonerate AIG Jimoh Moshood from Corrupt Allegations, Refutes Defamatory Statement as Fallacy,"* in which several groups defended the senior police officer against allegations surrounding the handling of the murder investigation. According to the lawyer, public endorsements and declarations of support cannot replace transparency and accountability in restoring public confidence in the justice system. "Public confidence in the administration of justice cannot be restored through endorsements or public declarations. Confidence is earned through a process that is demonstrably impartial, transparent, and ca...
Post a Comment
Read more

Court Cautions Police, Orders Proper Invitation of Hammed Tajudeen Akanbi

A Lagos State Magistrate Court has cautioned the Lagos State Police Command and directed that proper procedures be followed in the handling of the case involving Mr. Hammed Tajudeen Akanbi, also known as Hammed Ajiran, in what is seen as a setback for individuals including Bashir Fakorede, Jide Akinloye, and Assistant Inspector-General of Police, AIG Jimoh Moshood. Presiding over proceedings in the Ogba Magisterial District, Magistrate A. J. Odueke, in Charge No: MISC/126/2026, held that the police must formally invite Akanbi rather than declare him wanted. The Court further stated that an order for arrest would only be considered if he fails to honour such an invitation. The Court noted that it was mindful of previous proceedings in Charge No: MCIK/60A/2026, where a similar application had earlier been set aside by another Magistrate on March 23, 2026, on the grounds of illegality. Consequently, the Court declined to entertain what it described as a repetition of a defective process. ...
Post a Comment
Read more