NUPRC Apologises as Licensing System Upgrade Locks Service Providers Out of Permit Portal

The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) has apologised to service providers and other users locked out of its Oil and Gas Industry Service Permit (OGISP) portal, saying the disruption is the result of an ongoing upgrade of its licensing system.

The apology was contained in a statement posted on the Commission’s official X handle on Tuesday at about 4pm, and issued by its management.

The Commission said the downtime was caused by the upgrade of the Commission Electronic Licensing & Permit System (CELPS), which began on November 6, 2026.

It offered an unreserved apology to all users who have had difficulty accessing the OGISP portal since the exercise began.

The OGISP portal is the platform on which companies that provide services to the upstream oil and gas industry apply for and manage their permits. With the portal inaccessible, applications, renewals and other approvals that depend on it are likely to be delayed.

According to the NUPRC, the upgrade is meant to improve user experience, strengthen the security of the system and shorten the time it takes to process applications.

The Commission said it is working to complete the migration in the shortest possible time and expects the site to be running smoothly within the next 24 hours.

The statement did not say how many users have been affected. It also did not say whether deadlines for pending applications would be extended, or whether service providers with urgent regulatory filings could use any alternative channel while the portal remains down.

Electronic licensing platforms are designed to cut paperwork and reduce delays in regulatory approvals. System migrations, however, often bring temporary outages, which can be costly for businesses working against contract and project timelines.

Service providers and other stakeholders will now be watching to see whether the Commission restores the portal within the promised 24 hours, and whether the upgraded CELPS delivers the faster turnaround and better security it has promised.