Nigeria’s upstream regulator has confirmed that registration and application submissions for the Nigeria 2025 Licensing Round will close at 4:30 p.m. on Friday, February 27, 2026, urging all prospective applicants to comply with submission requirements within the deadline.
The 2025 Licensing Round forms part of Nigeria’s broader strategy to sustain upstream investment momentum, boost crude oil reserves, and unlock gas resources. Since the enactment of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) in 2021, the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) has pushed to improve transparency, regulatory certainty and investor confidence in Africa’s largest oil producer.
In a separate development, the NUPRC has overseen the formal transfer of the Olo Oilfield Host Community Development Trust (HCDT) from TotalEnergies to Aradel Holdings, following Aradel’s acquisition of the Olo/Olo West Marginal Field from Oil Mining Lease (OML) 58 in the Eastern Niger Delta. The handover marks a key implementation milestone for the PIA, which mandates upstream operators to set aside three per cent of their previous year’s operating expenditure for host community development.
The Olo HCDT has facilitated the completion of over 100 projects in host communities between 2023 and 2025, covering potable water supply, rural electrification, road construction, education, and healthcare services. A further 40 projects are currently ongoing, with interventions directly benefiting more than 25,000 residents. TotalEnergies confirmed that all financial and statutory obligations to the trust have been met up to the effective date of transfer, with no outstanding liabilities.
Aradel Holdings has now formally assumed full settlor responsibilities under the trust and will oversee future contributions and community development programmes in line with the PIA.
Source: independent.ng