NUPRC’s Gbenga Komolafe Makes List of Continental Experts to Speak at Pan-African Parliament 2025 Session

Gbenga Komolafe, Chief Executive of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), has been listed among leading continental experts invited to address the Sixth Ordinary Session of the Pan-African Parliament (PAP) in November 2025.

The invitation — extended to Komolafe in his capacity as both NUPRC Chief Executive and interim President of the Africa Forum for Petroleum Regulators and Frameworks (AFRIPERF) — marks a rare recognition of Nigeria’s leadership in upstream oil and gas reforms under the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

The Bureau of the Pan-African Parliament, in a letter dated October 17, 2025, invited Komolafe to deliver a paper on ‘Legislative Frameworks for Sustainable Upstream Regulation in Africa’s Oil and Gas Sector’ during the upcoming session.

“This topic explores how robust legislative reforms can advance sustainability in Africa’s upstream oil and gas operations, inviting insights from your leadership at NUPRC and as Acting Chairman of AFRIPERF,” the letter reads.

According to the Bureau, the Parliament looks forward to Komolafe’s reflections on Nigeria’s Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) and how its model of transparency, community inclusion, and investment-friendly regulation can guide continental efforts toward a harmonised energy governance framework.

The invitation noted that insights from Nigeria’s recent petroleum reforms would help PAP develop model laws across member states to improve transparency, environmental standards, and revenue fairness in the extractive sector.

This is the second time in recent years that a Nigerian public official has been invited to address the PAP’s plenary session — a platform traditionally reserved for African thought leaders and reformers whose work has contributed to the continent’s development agenda.

Komolafe’s recognition, observers say, underscores how far-reaching the impact of the PIA and its subsequent implementation has become under Tinubu’s reform-driven administration.

Since assuming office as NUPRC’s Chief Executive, Komolafe has championed a new culture of transparency and performance in Nigeria’s upstream sector. His leadership has been credited with streamlining licensing procedures, enforcing environmental accountability, and restoring investor confidence in the industry.

Under his watch, Nigeria’s crude oil production has recovered to around 1.7 million barrels per day, while gas flaring has been reduced to 7.16 percent — one of the lowest levels in two decades.

The PIA’s fiscal clarity and community development provisions have also improved relations between oil companies and host communities, setting new standards for responsible resource management.

The Bureau of the Pan-African Parliament said Komolafe’s address would form part of the session’s broader agenda to support the African Union’s Agenda 2063 — particularly its goals of inclusive growth, environmental protection, and energy transition across the continent.

Analysts view the invitation as a milestone not just for Komolafe but for Nigeria’s global reputation as a reform-minded energy leader. They argue that the Tinubu administration’s ongoing efforts to institutionalise transparency and accountability in the oil and gas sector have repositioned the country as a credible voice in continental economic governance.

By being selected to address the plenary, Komolafe joins a distinguished circle of Africans whose work in regulatory innovation and sustainable development has shaped continental policymaking.

His participation is expected to strengthen collaboration among African energy regulators and advance the continent’s quest for a just and inclusive energy transition.