Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan, the recently appointed Commission Chief Executive of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, has taken office with a commitment to reposition Nigeria’s upstream oil and gas industry, increase investments, and promote increased oil and gas production in accordance with the Petroleum Industry Act 2021.
Eyesan made this known during her first town hall meeting with the management and staff of the Commission, according to a statement signed by the Head, Media and Strategic Communications, Eniola Akinkuotu, on Wednesday.
She formally assumed office on Tuesday, December 23, 2025, following a handover ceremony from the immediate past Commission Chief Executive, Gbenga Komolafe.
Recall that last week, President Bola Tinubu sought and secured the approval of the National Assembly for the nomination of the former NNPCL staff as the new chief executives of the NUPRC after the sudden resignation of the former CCE.
At the meeting, the NUPRC boss outlined her vision to make the Commission a business enabler, stressing that effective regulation must support growth, investment and value creation across the upstream industry.
She further disclosed plans to make the Commission a business enabler and reignite investments in the upstream sector.
Eyesan also set a firm ambition to grow Nigeria’s crude oil output while significantly increasing gas production, in line with the Federal Government’s drive to monetise gas as a transition fuel and strengthen energy security.
With over three decades of experience in the oil and gas industry, the new Commission Chief Executive promised to entrench digitisation, transparency and operational efficiency at the NUPRC, describing these as critical to restoring investor confidence and improving regulatory outcomes.
She assured staff that, with collective effort, the Commission would emerge as a gold-standard regulator not only in Nigeria but across Africa.
Eyesan further pledged to prioritise capacity development, deepen technical competence within the Commission and sustain robust engagement with industry stakeholders, labour unions and professional bodies.
The CCE said, “The goal is that we must enable the industry, we are regulators. We must enable the industry through our interactions with the stakeholders, from our interactions with everybody.
“My main objective is to ensure that we make a difference. I believe the NUPRC is at the Center of the industry.”
On her leadership approach, she promised an open-door policy and regular engagement with staff, while calling for cooperation and shared commitment as the industry enters what she described as a new phase of transformation.
“If we work together, we can unleash opportunities. I don’t see impediments, only opportunities,” she said.
