NMDPRA Unveils Digital Licensing Round for Gas Distribution Areas

The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) is set to launch a digital licensing round for gas distribution areas across Nigeria before the end of 2026.

The regulator aims to expand infrastructure and create broader access to the country's natural gas resources through this initiative, which follows a nationwide gas distribution gridding exercise expected to be completed in October.

NMDPRA Chief Executive Rabiu Umar said investors would bid for licences covering specific gas distribution areas in a process similar to oil mining licence awards in the upstream petroleum sector.

The planned licensing round is part of the regulator's broader effort to move Nigeria's gas industry away from fragmented infrastructure and limited access towards a more integrated open-access system, which is expected to reduce infrastructure barriers for new market participants and encourage greater use of existing gas transportation networks.