NEWS
NUPRC Sets June 12 Deadline for Submission of Bids in 2025 Oil Block Licensing Round
The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) has announced that the submission of technical and commercial bids by prequalified applicants participating in the 2025 Licensing Round will officially close on Friday, June 12, 2026, at 4:30 p.m. West Africa Time (WAT).
The announcement, made through the commission’s official X handle on Tuesday, serves as a final reminder to qualified investors and industry stakeholders seeking participation in Nigeria’s latest oil and gas asset allocation exercise.
In its notice, the commission emphasized that the deadline is in strict compliance with the guidelines governing the ongoing licensing round.
“The NUPRC hereby notifies the general public that submission of technical and commercial bids by prequalified applicants for the 2025 Licensing Round closes on Friday, June 12 2026, at 16.30 hours (WAT) in line with the 2025 Licensing Round Guidelines,” the commission said.
The licensing round represents a critical component of Nigeria’s strategy to attract fresh investments into the upstream petroleum sector. Through the process, the government grants oil and gas exploration and production rights to qualified companies via a competitive bidding framework designed to ensure transparency and maximize value from the nation’s hydrocarbon resources.
The current licensing exercise was launched in December, when the NUPRC opened bidding for 50 oil and gas blocks across various terrains, with the ambitious objective of attracting approximately $10 billion in investment into the sector.
According to the commission, the blocks on offer comprise a diverse portfolio of assets spread across Nigeria’s petroleum landscape. The package includes 15 onshore blocks, 19 shallow water blocks, 15 frontier basin blocks, and one deepwater block.
The regulator had earlier disclosed that the 2025 Licensing Round would span approximately six months and would be conducted through a two-stage bidding process. The process consists of a qualification stage, where applicants are assessed based on their technical and financial capabilities, followed by a bid stage in which qualified participants compete for the available assets.
Industry observers view the licensing round as a major opportunity for both local and international investors seeking to expand their footprint in Africa’s largest oil-producing nation, particularly as Nigeria continues efforts to boost crude oil production, strengthen energy security, and attract capital into exploration and development activities.
In February, the NUPRC further intensified investor engagement efforts by urging global energy companies and investors to take advantage of the opportunities presented by the 2025 Licensing Round, highlighting Nigeria’s vast hydrocarbon potential and ongoing regulatory reforms aimed at improving the investment climate.
With the submission deadline now just days away, attention is expected to shift toward the evaluation process and eventual award of the highly sought-after oil and gas blocks, a development that could significantly influence the future trajectory of Nigeria’s upstream p
etroleum industry.