The Federal Government through its Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) has fixed Friday, June 12, 2026, as the deadline for the submission of technical and commercial bids by prequalified applicants participating in the country’s ongoing 2025 Licensing Round.
The commission disclosed this in a notice posted on its official X handle on Tuesday, urging all qualified bidders to comply strictly with the timelines stipulated in the licensing guidelines.
“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 notice read.
The commission advised interested stakeholders to obtain further details through the official licensing round portal. “For more details, visit the licensing round portal: br2025.nuprc.gov.ng,” it added.
The announcement signals the transition of the exercise into one of its most critical phases, as investors compete for opportunities in Nigeria’s upstream sector amid renewed efforts by the government to attract capital and boost hydrocarbon production.
The two-stage process, qualification followed by bidding, requires shortlisted firms to lodge final proposals by the stated time.
The 2025 Licensing Round, conducted under the provisions of the Petroleum Industry Act, is part of the Federal Government’s broader strategy to unlock dormant hydrocarbon assets, deepen exploration activities, and improve the country’s reserve base.
The successful completion of the technical and commercial bid stage would pave the way for the eventual award of oil blocks to successful applicants. The 2025 round, opened in December, offered 50 oil and gas blocks intended to attract about $10bn in investment.
The portfolio included 15 onshore blocks, 19 shallow-water blocks, 15 frontier blocks, and one deep-water block. NUPRC projects that the round could unlock around 2 billion barrels of oil over the next decade and potentially add about 400,000 barrels per day when fully developed.
The commission completed the prequalification stage in March and said successful applicants were notified. The latest update also comes against the backdrop of preparations for another licensing exercise expected to commence later this year.
Only days ago, the Commission Chief Executive of the NUPRC, Mrs Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan, announced that the 2026 Licensing Round had secured ministerial approval and would commence no later than the third quarter of 2026.
According to the commission, preparations for the next round are already underway as authorities seek to sustain investor confidence in Nigeria’s oil and gas sector.
Eyesan had expressed satisfaction with the progress recorded in the ongoing 2025 Licensing Round, noting that the commercial bid stage would precede the launch of the 2026 exercise.
The move underscores the regulator’s determination to institutionalise annual licensing rounds in line with the Petroleum Industry Act, which provides a transparent and competitive framework for the allocation of petroleum assets.
