NUPRC NNRA safety partnership aims to improve radiological safety, cut compliance costs, and boost efficiency in Nigeria’s oil sector

The Chief Executive of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan, and the Director-General and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Nuclear Regulatory Authority, Yau Idris, have initiated a collaborative framework in Abuja aimed at strengthening radiological safety in oil and gas operations while reducing regulatory costs for industry operators.

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The initiative followed a recent meeting between both regulatory leaders at the headquarters of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission in Abuja, where discussions centred on harmonising regulatory processes and improving operational efficiency across the upstream petroleum sector.

According to a statement issued on Sunday by the Head of Corporate Communications and Media at the NUPRC, Eniola Akinkuotu, the partnership is designed to eliminate overlapping regulatory requirements, close existing oversight gaps and establish a more efficient compliance system for operators.

“The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission is partnering with the Nigerian Nuclear Regulatory Authority in order to enforce radiological safety in oil and gas operations and reduce the overall cost of operations,” the statement said.

The collaboration brings together two agencies with distinct but interconnected responsibilities. While the NUPRC regulates technical, commercial and operational activities in oil and gas exploration and production, the NNRA oversees the possession, use, transportation and disposal of radioactive materials and radiation-emitting equipment across Nigeria.

Speaking during the meeting, Eyesan said stronger cooperation among regulators was essential to reducing duplication and creating a more attractive investment environment for the petroleum industry.

Eyesan noted that multiple regulatory requirements often increase operational costs for businesses, affecting the sector’s competitiveness and investment appeal.

“The only way we can safeguard investments is to reduce our cost of operations, and when you have a multiplicity of laws, the likelihood is that you will have higher costs because each law normally will come with its own fees and charges,” Eyesan said.

The NUPRC chief disclosed that senior officials had already been nominated to work directly with their counterparts at the NNRA to advance the initiative.

“We have identified critical areas on both sides and we believe that, as we collaborate, we can close existing gaps,” Eyesan added.

Responding, Idris described the cooperation as particularly important because the upstream petroleum sector remains one of the country’s largest users of radioactive sources and radiation-emitting equipment.

According to Idris, radioactive technologies are widely utilised in well logging, industrial radiography and nucleonic gauging activities that support oil and gas exploration and production.

He said the NUPRC NNRA Safety Partnership would encourage information sharing between both agencies and simplify compliance requirements for operators.

“The goal is a single-window approach, where both agencies share information rather than requiring operators to submit the same data twice,” Idris said.

Idris further explained that oil and gas extraction activities frequently bring Naturally Occurring Radioactive Materials to the surface. As a result, the NNRA is seeking support from the NUPRC to ensure radiological impact assessments are integrated into broader Environmental Impact Assessments and that NORM management protocols are reflected in upstream environmental guidelines.

Beyond regulatory coordination, both agencies agreed to deepen cooperation in training, capacity building and knowledge sharing on radiation protection and safe operational practices.

The partnership forms part of wider Federal Government efforts to attract investment, increase petroleum production and improve efficiency in the industry following the implementation of the Petroleum Industry Act.

The move comes despite signs of improvement in foreign investment flows into the sector. Recent data from the National Bureau of Statistics showed that Nigeria’s oil and gas industry attracted $0.46 million in foreign capital during the first quarter of 2026, representing a 283.3 per cent increase from the $0.12 million recorded in the corresponding period of 2025.

However, the actual investment value remained modest when compared with total capital imported into the Nigerian economy, which rose to $10.37 billion in the first quarter of 2026 from $5.64 billion a year earlier, highlighting the continuing challenge of attracting substantial foreign investment into the sector.

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Industry stakeholders are expected to monitor the NUPRC NNRA Safety Partnership closely as both regulators work towards a streamlined and more cost-effective compliance regime capable of supporting sustainable growth in Nigeria’s upstream petroleum industry.