NMDPRA Moves to Streamline Petroleum Regulations for Safer, Simpler Business Operations

In an effort to improve the ease of doing business in Nigeria’s midstream and downstream petroleum sectors, the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) has begun the process of merging three existing safety and environmental regulations into a single, comprehensive framework.

Speaking at a stakeholder consultation forum on the proposed Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Safety and Environmental Regulations 2025, the Authority Chief Executive, Engr. Farouk Ahmed—represented by Mr. Ogbugo Ukoha, Executive Director for Distribution Systems, Storage and Retailing Infrastructure—stated that the consolidation aims to simplify compliance and reduce regulatory burdens for industry operators.

Ahmed explained that the initiative would help streamline all health, safety, and environmental procedures—including decommissioning and abandonment—in the midstream and downstream sectors. It would also eliminate overlaps and inconsistencies across multiple regulations, thus promoting greater adherence to the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) and its associated guidelines.

Offering more insight, NMDPRA Secretary and Legal Adviser, Dr. Joseph Tolorunse, said the unified regulation merges three separate 2023 rules: safety, environmental, and abandonment/decommissioning regulations. “The goal is to create a single, easy-to-navigate regulation that supports efficient enforcement and business operations,” he noted. “It also gives us the opportunity to update and improve parts of the 2023 regulations.”

Tolorunse emphasized that this move is part of NMDPRA’s broader strategy to attract investment and enable a more business-friendly environment. He also highlighted the Authority’s vision of transitioning towards a self-regulating industry, where operators are largely responsible for maintaining compliance under transparent oversight.

However, discussions remain ongoing over specific provisions—such as the regulation of abandoned filling stations. “Some stakeholders argue that closed filling stations should be excluded from the regulation,” he said. “But we’re concerned about environmental risks, particularly groundwater contamination, if these sites are not properly decommissioned.”

The NMDPRA maintains that the final framework will be shaped by continued stakeholder input, with the overarching aim of fostering a safer, more efficient, and investment-ready petroleum sector.