NUPRC Warns Disjointed Regulations Are Weakening Africa’s Energy Investment Appeal

The chief executive of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan, has raised concerns that inconsistent and fragmented regulatory systems across African countries are discouraging potential energy investors from committing to major projects. She spoke about the issue in a keynote address at a major energy summit in Abuja, where stakeholders gathered to discuss the continent’s energy future.

Eyesan argued that the challenge facing Africa’s energy sector is no longer a lack of resources but the absence of harmonised policies and regulatory frameworks that make cross‑border oil and gas ventures easier to plan and execute. She stressed that investors are put off more by these rule differences than by the geological conditions of the region.

To tackle this, she called for stronger cooperation among African regulators and pointed to initiatives such as the African Petroleum Regulators’ Forum, which aims to align technical standards, share data, and build a unified regulatory voice. Such alignment could reduce costs, speed up project timelines, and make the continent more attractive to foreign and regional capital.

The NUPRC boss also emphasised that Africa’s abundant natural resources and youthful population present huge opportunities for growth if frameworks are harmonised. She argued that coordinated policies and shared regulatory standards would unlock infrastructure investment, strengthen value chains, and support inclusive economic progress across the continent.