Civil Society Groups Defend Komolafe, ex-Oil Agency Chief Executive

A coalition of civil society organisations in Nigeria has dismissed allegations of asset manipulation and revenue concealment levelled against the immediate past chief executive of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), Engr. Gbenga Komolafe, describing the claims as “baseless, contrived and malicious.”

At a press conference in Abuja yesterday, the national coordinators of the group, Dr Wisdom Ohalete and Alhaji Nurudeen Abdulmaleek, said the allegations were being promoted by “faceless interests” whose illicit revenue channels were disrupted by reforms implemented under Komolafe’s four-year leadership at the commission.

Addressing journalists, the group said the briefing was convened to “set the records straight” and counter what it described as deliberate attempts to distort facts and discredit the achievements recorded at NUPRC during Komolafe’s tenure.

“It is important to state that Engr. Komolafe exited office voluntarily and honourably, with his integrity intact,” the coalition said.”

Adding that his time in office was marked by transparency, accountability and measurable institutional reforms in Nigeria’s upstream petroleum sector.

The coalition highlighted what it described as ten verifiable milestones achieved under Komolafe’s leadership. These include the introduction of regulatory frameworks such as the Upstream Measurement Regulations and the Advanced Cargo Declaration Regulations, which it said strengthened hydrocarbon accounting and revenue assurance.

According to the group, Nigeria’s crude oil production recovered to an average of 1.68 million barrels per day during the period, peaking at about 1.8 million barrels per day in July 2025, while crude oil theft reportedly declined by over 90 per cent, from about 102,900 barrels per day in 2021 to roughly 9,600 barrels per day by September 2025.

The coalition also cited the approval of 79 Field Development Plans with an estimated investment value of nearly $40 billion, the introduction of the Regulatory Action Plan to implement the Petroleum Industry Act, and the enforcement of the “Drill or Drop” policy to optimise oil and gas assets.

Other achievements listed include renewed exploration activities through large-scale seismic data acquisition, the drilling and completion of 306 development wells between 2022 and 2025, and the full digitisation of licensing rounds, which the group said earned commendation from the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI).

On gas development and sustainability, the coalition said NUPRC completed the Nigerian Gas Flare Commercialisation Programme, strengthened host community development through remittances to Host Community Development Trusts, and deployed environmental, social and governance (ESG) tools such as Host Comply. It also noted Nigeria’s role in regional regulatory cooperation through the establishment of the African Petroleum Regulators Forum (AFRIPERF).

“We urge the public to disregard these malicious distortions and stand by the truth, facts and documented achievements,” the coalition said.