Ensure Higher Oil Output, Lokpobiri Urges New Upstream Regulator

The new Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan, faces the enormous responsibility of helping Nigeria ramp up crude oil and gas production, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, has stated.

Lokpobiri stated this when he received the new NUPRC chief executive in his office on a familiarisation visit.

The minister, while describing Eyesan’s appointment as “well-deserving”, however, stressed that it comes at a critical time for the oil and gas sector, as the federal government intensifies efforts to boost output and shore up revenues.

He said the success of the administration’s production recovery drive will significantly depend on the effectiveness of the NUPRC under Eyesan’s leadership, noting that her “wealth of experience, deep knowledge of the industry, and proven leadership” will be crucial in delivering on the mandate.

Lokpobiri reiterated that the Ministry of Petroleum Resources remains “firmly committed” to increasing production and pledged closer collaboration with the Commission and other stakeholders to ensure “coordinated, transparent, and results-driven implementation” of government policies in the upstream segment.

He added that aligning regulatory actions with policy direction will be essential to restoring investor confidence, tackling operational bottlenecks and meeting Nigeria’s production and revenue targets.

Recall that Eyesan was nominated as CEO of the NUPRC on December 17, 2025, following the resignation of her predecessor, Gbenga Komolafe.

The Senate confirmed her appointment on December 18, 2025, after considering the report of its joint committee on petroleum.

Eyesan is an Economics graduate of the University of Benin and has spent over three decades in Nigeria’s oil and gas sector, primarily within the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited and its subsidiaries.

She previously served as executive vice president, upstream, and earlier as group general manager, Corporate Planning and Strategy at NNPC, where she led long-term strategy, budgeting, capital allocation and major reform initiatives, including work around the Petroleum Industry Act and NNPC’s commercial transformation