By|| Goodluck E. Adubazi || Abuja
The Commission Chief Executive of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), Mrs. Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan, has declared the African Petroleum Regulators’ Forum (AFRIPERF) a cornerstone of Africa’s energy future, urging stronger regulatory alignment across the continent to unlock large-scale oil and gas investments.
Eyesan made the call in a keynote address at the Nigerian International Energy Summit (NIES) held Monday at the International Conference Centre (ICC), Abuja. She was represented at the event by the Director at NUPRC, Mr. Edu Inyang.
Speaking on the theme “One Africa, One Regulator Voice: Aligned Policies for Continental Prosperity and Investment,” Eyesan said fragmented regulatory frameworks across African countries continue to discourage cross-border energy projects and delay development.
“Investors are not deterred by Africa’s geology; they are deterred by inconsistent rules,” she said. “AFRIPERF was established to institutionalise regulatory convergence, provide predictability, and enable faster execution of cross-border projects that deliver shared prosperity.”
She noted that AFRIPERF, launched in collaboration with petroleum regulators across Africa, is already driving progress through aligned standards, shared data platforms, capacity building initiatives and a unified African voice on global energy and climate platforms.
Eyesan highlighted Africa’s vast development potential, pointing out that the continent holds about eight per cent of global oil and gas reserves, nearly 30 per cent of known critical mineral resources, and a population of over 1.5 billion people, largely youthful and economically active.
According to her, coordinated policies, integrated infrastructure and aligned regulatory frameworks are essential to converting these advantages into industrialisation, stronger regional value chains, enhanced energy security and inclusive economic growth.
She reaffirmed that oil and gas resources remain central to Africa’s development, supporting electricity generation, clean cooking, petrochemicals, fertiliser production and public revenues, even as the continent advances a just and orderly energy transition.
Eyesan also referenced Africa’s growing influence on the global stage, citing coordinated positions at successive UN climate conferences (COPs), which secured recognition of Africa’s development realities and the role of natural gas as a transition fuel. She added that similar unity helped deliver the historic Loss and Damage Fund at COP27 in Sharm el-Sheikh.
Pointing to practical examples of cooperation, she cited the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), regional power pools and cross-border gas infrastructure such as the West African Gas Pipeline as evidence that policy alignment accelerates development and expands access to affordable energy.
However, she warned of missed opportunities, revealing that more than 180 trillion cubic feet of discovered natural gas across Africa remains unsanctioned due largely to fragmented markets and unaligned fiscal and regulatory regimes.
“Nigeria has taken deliberate steps to lead by example,” Eyesan said, referencing the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021, transparent licensing rounds, and major gas infrastructure projects including the Ajaokuta–Kaduna–Kano (AKK) pipeline, the Nigeria–Morocco Gas Pipeline and the revived Trans-Saharan Gas Pipeline.
She added that the Africa Energy Bank, headquartered in Nigeria, is mobilising African capital for African energy projects, helping to close financing gaps created by global capital flight from fossil fuel investments.
In her closing remarks, Eyesan urged African regulators and policymakers to deepen cooperation by strengthening AFRIPERF, expanding regional gas and electricity networks, adopting shared sustainability standards and maintaining a unified African position in global energy and climate engagements.
“Our voice must be one, our frameworks aligned, and our actions coordinated,” she said. “Only then can we unlock the full transformative power of Africa’s resources for our people.”
