Reform driven citizens under the umbrella of the Citizens Connect Conference has praised President Bola Tinubu’s achievements in the oil and gas sector.
Speaking at the 1st Citizens Connect Conference in Lagos, the Convener of the group, Charles Abakpa Onoja, said the President has restored national confidence in the oil and gas sector.
In his opening address, Onoja said: “Let us begin where much of Nigeria’s story has always been written—our oil and gas sector. For decades, this sector symbolised both our promise and our pain.
“We have heard stories of corruption, inefficiency, and missed opportunities. Yet today, there is a new story unfolding — a story of reform, renewal, and restoration.
“Under the administration of President Bola Tinubu, and through the diligent leadership of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) led by Engr. Gbenga Komolafe, the sector has been reborn on the firm foundation of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA). What Nigerians are witnessing today is not luck; it is leadership — structured, deliberate, and data-driven.
“In just two years, NUPRC has demonstrated what happens when political will meets professional excellence. The Commission has generated over ₦12.25 trillion in revenue for the federation within this short span — an unprecedented achievement reflecting the efficiency of new monitoring systems and enforcement mechanisms.”
Participants at the conference came together from the six south Western states came together to examine the reforms being championed by the President and critical agencies in the Oil and Gas sector.
The guest speaker, Prof Yemi Oke SAN and other speakers took turn to praise the upstream petroleum sector in the implementation of the PIA. They all agreed that Mr. President is working hard for the nation.
Prof Oke outlined the gains of subsidy removal and said that the policy has led to 200 per cent increase in allocations to states and local governments, road projects, hospital projects, power sector development, student loan scheme and increment in NYSC allowances.
He listed the multiplier effects of oil subsidy removal to transition to net exporter of petroleum resources, private refineries investment, gas development projects, LPG and CNG revolution, foreign exchange savings, stability and gradual strengthening of the Naira and fertilizer production.
He said: “Dormant oil blocks are returning to productivity, production reporting is now electronic, and field development plans are strictly monitored for compliance. The era of discretionary approvals and rent-seeking is fading away, replaced by process, predictability, and performance.
“Equally important is the focus on gas—the transition fuel for Nigeria’s economic future. Under the Gas Flare Commercialisation Programme, investors are now turning environmental liability into economic opportunity. We are reducing waste, protecting our planet, and creating jobs.
“These are not abstract policy shifts. They are the building blocks of a more transparent and sustainable energy future—and they are happening under President Tinubu’s watch.”
According to Oke, a reform is only meaningful when it touches lives. He said the Petroleum Industry Act did not only restructure institutions; it redefined relationships—between government, industry, and the communities that bear the weight of extraction. He said under Komolafe’s leadership, the Host Community Development Trusts (HCDTs) have become the bridge between promise and delivery.
“More than ₦358 billion has so far been remitted to these trusts, funding over 500 community projects in education, healthcare, road construction, and youth empowerment across oil-producing regions. For the first time, host communities are not treated as afterthoughts—they are partners. The principle is simple: those who live with the consequences of resource extraction must share in its benefits.
“This is what President Tinubu envisioned when he speaks about Renewed Hope. Hope that is not poetic but practical; hope that builds hospitals, powers schools, and brings opportunity to communities long forgotten.
“Transparency has also become a defining feature of the new order. NUPRC’s electronic reporting platforms allow real-time production tracking and cargo declaration—cutting out leakages that once drained our national purse. The days of guessing how much crude Nigeria produces are gone. The data now speaks for itself.
“The Commission has also introduced robust systems for measuring flare gas, tracking royalty payments, and enforcing environmental standards. This is governance at work—silent, methodical, transformative.
“The world has noticed. International rating agencies and investors now describe Nigeria’s oil regulatory framework as more predictable and investor-friendly than at any time in the past decade. The reforms have positioned our country as an emerging energy investment hub on the continent.
“These achievements did not emerge in a vacuum. They are the product of a reform-minded administration that prioritised competence over complacency. But every reform is a journey, not an event—and journeys can be interrupted.
“The truth is that what we have gained in the last two years can easily be lost if the focus shifts from reform to rhetoric. Nigeria cannot afford to go backwards. We must protect this momentum by ensuring that the same political will that birthed these achievements is renewed in 2027.”
