Lawyers urge NMDPRA chief to amend PIA, fix overlap and stakeholder engagement

Lawyers urged NMDPRA Authority Chief Executive Rabiu Abdullahi Umar to amend the Petroleum Industry Act and address regulatory overlap and weak stakeholder engagement. Speaking at the NMDPRA General Counsel and Legal Advisers Forum 2026, they cited ambiguities in the PIA, overlapping functions between NMDPRA and NUPRC, and regulations issued without adequate consultation. Umar said compliance is a shared value and aims for certainty, predictability, transparency and confidence in the sector. Lawyer Abimbola Ademola SAN warned the Act needs serious amendments because many provisions are impracticable and misaligned with international best practices, noting functional overlaps create uncertainty. Barrister Akin Oladimeji added that poor stakeholder consultation erodes investor confidence and could push international oil companies out of Nigeria. He urged greater synergy between the regulators in revenue administration and duty performance. The call comes two months after President Tinubu approved the removal of Umar’s predecessor Saidu Mohammed under the PIA 2021, which the Presidency said aimed to strengthen oversight. The House of Representatives noted in 2025 that the PIA 2021 attracted over $16 billion in investment commitments and that Nigeria earned ₦50.88 trillion from crude oil and gas exports in 2024. Regulatory clarity directly affects investment inflows, oil revenues, foreign exchange and job prospects in the sector; continued uncertainty could deter investors and affect national income. Readers should monitor upcoming PIA amendments, participate in stakeholder consultations where possible, and consider how regulatory shifts may affect investments, employment or business opportunities in Nigeria’s oil and gas sector.

SOURCE: https://nairametrics.com/2026/06/30/nmdpra-lawyers-demand-pia-amendment-to-fix-regulatory-overlap/