The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) has declared that only bidders with strong technical and financial capacity would advance in the ongoing 2025 oil and gas licensing round, as competition opens for 50 hydrocarbon blocks across the country.

The Commission’s Chief Executive, Mrs Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan, made this clarification during the 2025 licensing round pre-bid webinar, stressing that the exercise would be driven strictly by merit and competence.

She said, “The process follows five steps: registration and pre-qualification, data acquisition, technical bid submission, evaluation, and a commercial bid conference.

“Only candidates with strong technical and financial credentials, professionalism, and credible plans move forward. Winners are chosen through a transparent, merit-based procedure.”

Eyesan disclosed that following the approval of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, signature bonuses for the 2025 licensing round had been structured within a value range designed to lower entry barriers for investors while shifting focus to capacity and delivery.

According to her, the adjustment places greater emphasis on “technical capability, credible work programs, financial strength, and the ability to deliver production within the shortest possible time. This has been done to increase competitiveness and in response to capital mobility.”

Describing the round as an invitation to serious investors, Eyesan said Nigeria was seeking committed partners capable of deploying capital and advanced technology to accelerate asset development from licence award to full production.

She said the Commission remained resolute in conducting a transparent process, insisting that Nigeria was “ready to be the beautiful bride to capital and playroom for advanced technological deployment for hydrocarbon recovery.

“In this licensing round, 50 oil and gas blocks across Nigeria are available, allowing investors to access the country’s key basins and create long-term value.”

She assured stakeholders that the bid process would strictly comply with the Petroleum Industry Act, leverage digital tools for efficient data access, and remain open to public and institutional scrutiny through the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative and other oversight agencies.

“Let me emphasise that the Nigeria 2025 Licensing Round is not merely a bidding exercise. It is a clear signal of a re-imagined upstream sector, anchored in the rule of law, driven by data, aligned with global investment realities, and focused on long-term value creation,” she said.

During the webinar, NUPRC subject matter experts also took investors through the guidelines, model contracts, bid parameters and evaluation criteria, aimed at reducing uncertainty and promoting a transparent and predictable investment framework.