Nigeria's Oil Sector Faces Transparency Crisis Amid Public Scrutiny
Oil and gas professionals in Nigeria have called on the Federal Government to launch an independent investigation into the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) and the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), citing growing transparency concerns in the sector.
The call comes amid renewed public debate over production performance, licensing procedures, and contract awards in Nigeria's oil industry. Stakeholders say the sector cannot continue to operate under a cloud of allegations and internal suspicion while key institutions remain under scrutiny.
Mele Kyari was removed from his position as GCEO of NNPC following claims that the administration under his watch suffered from non-performance, corruption/self-dealing allegations, and an inability to raise production beyond 1.7 million barrels per day. However, one and a half years after his successor took over, production remains below this threshold, and concerns around non-performance and alleged 'shady' transactions have returned.