By Barbara Nwaiwu
The Oil and Gas Professionals Forum (OGPF) has called on the Federal Government to institute an independent investigation into the leadership and operations of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd.) and the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) over allegations of transparency lapses, licensing irregularities and concerns surrounding contract awards in the oil sector.
The forum made the call in a statement signed by its convener, Ayodele Momoh, on Saturday, amid renewed public debate over oil production performance, licensing procedures and accountability in Nigeria’s petroleum industry.
According to the group, the growing calls for an investigation reflect increasing unease within the industry over the pace of reforms and the credibility of major decisions affecting the management of the country’s oil assets.
The forum argued that Nigeria’s petroleum sector could not continue to operate under persistent allegations while institutions responsible for regulation and operations remained under public scrutiny.
“Nigeria’s oil sector is facing renewed public scrutiny after allegations of policy underperformance, questionable transactions, and renewed contract controversies surrounding senior leadership at NNPC and the NUPRC.”
“Mele Kyari, formerly GCEO of NNPC, was removed from his position following claims that the administration under his watch suffered from non-performance, corruption/self-dealing allegations, and an inability to materially raise production beyond the widely cited benchmark of roughly 1.7 million barrels per day,” the group said.
It added that the marginal fields licensing process should be subjected to closer scrutiny over reports of possible insider influence, uneven application of rules and overlaps in oil block allocations.
“The process implicated Bayo Ojulari through allegations that allies and cronies secured favourable blocks, allegedly aided by insider knowledge and access associated with senior management influence connected to Ojulari’s personal network, including one of his wives, who is a top official at the NUPRC,” it added.
The forum maintained that the allocation of national assets must be conducted through transparent, documented procedures that guarantee equal access for all qualified participants.
It also noted that calls had previously been made in other quarters for a review of licensing exercises and a forensic examination of petroleum bid rounds.
The group further alleged that some oil blocks linked to recent licensing outcomes overlapped with interests associated with individuals described as being close to the President.
“Some of the blocks tied to the licensing outcome were reported to overlap with interests already held by people described as being close to the President’s inner circle. Therefore, we call for the removal of both Bayo Ojulari from his NNPC leadership role and Meyiwa Eyesan from her position at the NUPRC.
“Leadership accountability should extend beyond earlier changes and toward current outcomes, especially to protect licensing integrity, contract award practices, and oil production delivery.”
The professionals urged the Presidency and relevant oversight agencies to independently examine the allegations and ensure that concerns relating to procurement, licensing and regulatory oversight were addressed transparently.
The forum also alleged that early allocations involving Oil Mining Leases (OMLs) 64 and 98 were linked to companies associated with individuals described as friends and allies of Ojulari.
“Early allocations for specific OMLs — namely OML 64 and OML 98 — were connected to companies aligned with friends and allies of Ojulari, fueling additional speculation over whether personal networks are shaping contract decisions.”
“Throughout the growing controversy, Ojulari has reportedly maintained that his actions — across licensing and related decisions — were conducted with the knowledge of the President. Public accountability requires more than assertions of political awareness, especially where outcomes appear to advantage particular networks,” the group said.
The forum said Nigeria’s oil and gas institutions must demonstrate professionalism, accountability and independence to strengthen investor confidence and improve the credibility of the sector.
As of the time the statement was issued, NNPC Ltd., NUPRC and the officials named in the allegations had not responded to the claims.
