The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) has issued a stern warning to commercial entities awarded flare gas sites under the Nigerian Gas Flare Commercialisation Programme (NGFCP), cautioning that their permits will be revoked if they fail to make substantial progress toward developing the sites within one year of issuance.
​The regulatory stance was disclosed on Tuesday, September 8, 2026, during an official working visit by the NUPRC executive team to the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Rt. Hon. Ekperikpe Ekpo, at the Ministry’s headquarters in Abuja.
Details of the meeting were made public on Wednesday, September 9, 2026, in a formal press statement issued by Eniola Akinkuotu, Head of Corporate Communications and Media at the NUPRC.
​Briefing the Minister, Commission Chief Executive (CCE) Mrs. Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan stated that the Commission has established a strict monitoring timeline to prevent awardees from leaving assets dormant.
​”One year after an award has been granted, the Commission conducts an evaluation to determine whether there has been considerable progress,” Eyesan emphasized. “Where there is insufficient progress, the Commission will take appropriate regulatory action, including revocation of the award where necessary.”
Out of 43 gas flare sites originally identified for third-party commercialisation, 27 have been successfully awarded to operators, with project implementation currently ongoing despite initial resistance from some asset owners.
Nigeria possesses over 215 trillion cubic feet (TCF) in proven gas reserves, with an estimated potential reserve base reaching 600 TCF, serving as the foundation for domestic industrialisation and energy conversion.
Through the Host Community Development Trust (HCDT) mechanism under the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA), 173 trusts have been incorporated and 147 funded.
Over 1,001 community projects are ongoing, and more than 200 projects have been fully commissioned, contributing to lower incidences of oil theft and pipeline vandalism.
​Responding to the update, Minister Ekperikpe Ekpo reiterated the Federal Government’s commitment to aggressively pursuing the elimination of routine gas flaring by 2030.
​”The core objective is to add value to our gas resources by converting them into critical products and services,” Ekpo stated. “We must move away from environmental pollution and toward productive resource utilisation.”
