Nigeria has officially opened the 2025 oil and gas licensing round, marking a major step toward revitalizing the nation’s energy sector and attracting fresh investments. The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) has placed 50 oil and gas blocks on offer, inviting both local and international investors to participate in one of the country’s most ambitious bid rounds in recent years.
Approved by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, this licensing round aligns with the provisions of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) and reinforces the government’s commitment to transparency, competitiveness, and long-term industry growth.
Why the 2025 Licensing Round Matters
The NUPRC aims to attract up to $10 billion in new investments through this round. According to the Commission’s projections, the awarded blocks could help unlock around 2 billion barrels of oil over the next decade and potentially contribute up to 400,000 barrels per day once development matures.
What’s on Offer?
The 50 blocks being offered span a diverse mix of terrains, giving investors a wide range of opportunities to explore:
- 15 onshore blocks
- 19 shallow-water/swamp blocks
- 15 frontier basin blocks, covering underexplored regions with high geological potential
- 1 deep-water block
To ease participation, NUPRC has launched a dedicated online platform where investors can access bid guidelines, technical data, and application requirements.
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Beyond revenue, the bid round is expected to
- Expand Nigeria’s hydrocarbon reserves
- Boost national oil and gas production
- Create thousands of jobs across technical, service, and support sectors
- Strengthen domestic participation in the upstream industry
- Support the country’s gas utilization goals and energy transition roadmap
To increase investor confidence, NUPRC has also enhanced the available geological data by reprocessing extensive 2D and 3D seismic surveys, helping reduce exploration risks.
The Highlights Of The 2025 Licensing Round Digital Approach
The entire exercise will be conducted through an automated, transparent system consisting of:
- Qualification Stage – Submission and evaluation of applications
- Bidding Stage – Shortlisted applicants gain access to confidential data and proceed with competitive bids
This structure ensures fairness, accountability, and compliance with global best practices.
Key Dates to Note
Investors are expected to engage actively as the process unfolds over the coming months.
Prospective investors can access detailed guidelines, block descriptions, and participation instructions on the dedicated online portal at br2025.nuprc.gov.ng.
Key dates for the bid round process include:
Pre-bid Conference: December 17, 2025, in Lagos, Nigeria.
International Roadshows:
- Dubai: January 5, 2026
- Singapore: January 8, 2026
- Beijing: January 12, 2026
- Houston: January 19, 2026
The bidding process involves two stages: a qualification stage for application submission and evaluation, followed by a bid stage for shortlisted applicants to submit technical and commercial bids.
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