The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) and the Nigerian Nuclear Regulatory Authority (NNRA) have begun efforts to harmonise their regulatory systems in a move aimed at strengthening radiological safety standards and reducing operational costs in Nigeria’s oil and gas sector.
The initiative formed the focus of discussions during a high-level meeting in Abuja between the Chief Executive of NUPRC, Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan, and the Director-General and Chief Executive Officer of the NNRA, Yau Idris.
According to a statement by NUPRC’s Head of Corporate Communications and Media, Eniola Akinkuotu, the partnership is designed to eliminate overlapping regulatory responsibilities, close existing gaps in oversight, and create a more streamlined compliance process for operators.
Under the proposed arrangement, radiological impact assessments would be incorporated into broader Environmental Impact Assessments, while procedures for managing Naturally Occurring Radioactive Materials (NORM) would become part of environmental guidelines governing upstream petroleum activities.
Both agencies also agreed to deepen cooperation through joint training programmes, capacity-building initiatives, and knowledge-sharing efforts focused on radiation protection and operational safety.
Speaking on the significance of the collaboration, officials noted that the partnership would improve enforcement of radiological safety standards while helping operators reduce the cost of compliance.
“The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission is partnering with the Nigerian Nuclear Regulatory Authority in order to enforce radiological safety in oil and gas operations and reduce the overall cost of operations,” the statement said.
The NUPRC is responsible for regulating technical, operational, and commercial activities in Nigeria’s upstream petroleum industry, while the NNRA oversees the use, transportation, storage, and disposal of radioactive materials and radiation-emitting equipment nationwide.
During the meeting, Eyesan stressed the need for stronger inter-agency cooperation, arguing that regulatory efficiency is critical to attracting and safeguarding investments in the sector.
She observed that multiple regulations and compliance requirements often place unnecessary financial pressure on operators, increasing the overall cost of doing business.
“The only way we can safeguard investments is to reduce our cost of operations, and when you have a multiplicity of laws, the likelihood is that you will have higher costs because each law normally will come with its own fees and charges,” she said.
Eyesan disclosed that senior officials from both organisations had already been assigned to identify areas where collaboration could improve regulatory effectiveness and close existing gaps.
“We have identified critical areas on both sides and we believe that, as we collaborate, we can close existing gaps,” she added.
Responding, NNRA Director-General Yau Idris described the oil and gas sector as one of the authority’s most important areas of engagement due to its extensive use of radioactive sources and radiation-based technologies.
He explained that such technologies play vital roles in well logging, industrial radiography, and nucleonic gauging, all of which are essential to oil and gas exploration and production activities.
According to Idris, the new partnership will improve information sharing between both agencies and reduce the burden of multiple compliance processes on operators.
“The goal is a single-window approach, where both agencies share information rather than requiring operators to submit the same data twice,” he said.
He further noted that oil and gas operations frequently bring Naturally Occurring Radioactive Materials to the surface, making close collaboration between regulators necessary to ensure effective monitoring, safe handling, and proper management of such materials.
Industry stakeholders are expected to benefit from the planned reforms through simplified regulatory procedures, lower compliance costs, and improved operational efficiency, while maintaining high standards of environmental and radiological safety.
