By Obiabin Onukwugha
The Nigeria Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), concluded a highly impactful participation at the 2026 Society of Petroleum Engineers Nigeria Annual International Conference and Exhibition (SPE NAICE), reaffirming its commitment to advancing regulatory excellence and supporting innovation across the petroleum industry.
Leading the Authority’s engagement, the Authority Chief Executive, Mallam Rabiu Umar delivered the Regulatory Address, where he reiterated NMDPRA’s guiding principles of being Firm, Fair and Fast in the discharge of its regulatory responsibilities. He underscored the Authority’s commitment to creating a transparent, efficient and investor-friendly regulatory environment that promotes sustainable growth in Nigeria’s oil and gas sector.
Representing the Authority as a conference sponsor, Mr. Elvis Druji reaffirmef NMDPRA’s support for initiatives that foster knowledge exchange, technological advancement and industry collaboration.
A statement by the agency on Thursday, highlighted that the Authority’s technical contributions were further demonstrated through paper presentations by its experts, as Okechukwu Nwankwo presented a paper titled “Understanding the Regulatory Framework under the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021,” offering valuable insights into the evolving regulatory landscape.
Also, Adaora Ugwu participated in the Women Leadership Programme panel discussion on the theme, “Elevating Leadership through Empathy, Leadership and Human-Centered Decision Making,” where she highlighted the importance of inclusive leadership and people-focused decision-making in shaping resilient organisations.
Jerry Ishaya chaired a technical session covering Artificial Intelligence and Data Science, Asset and Information Management, Energy Transition and Decarbonization, facilitating discussions on emerging technologies and sustainable practices driving the future of the energy industry.
Similarly, Ahmad Mungadi chaired a technical session focused on Deep Water Development, Operations, Refining and Petrochemical Technology, providing a platform for discussions on operational excellence and technological innovation within the sector.
Odafe Atebe delivered a presentation on “Assessment of Produced Formation Water Management Policy in Nigeria’s Oil and Gas Industry,” highlighting policy considerations for environmentally sustainable operations.
Bello Sayyadi also presented a paper titled “From Design to Decommissioning: Integrating Inherent Safety Principles in Nigeria’s Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Operations,” emphasizing the need to embed safety throughout the lifecycle of petroleum infrastructure.
“The Authority’s broad participation throughout SPE NAICE 2026 reflects its unwavering commitment to thought leadership, regulatory excellence, knowledge sharing and collaboration in support of a safe, efficient and globally competitive Nigerian Oil and Gas ecosystem,” the statement concluded.
