The Federal Government has moved 13 oil and gas blocks back into the national licensing pool after the assets failed to attract bids from investors during the 2025 Licensing Round.
The Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan, announced this on Tuesday in Abuja at the 2025 Commercial Bid Conference.
She said the government had placed 50 oil and gas blocks on offer across different sedimentary basins during the licensing exercise, but investors submitted bids for only 37 of the available assets.
Eyesan explained that the remaining 13 blocks would be returned to the licensing basket for future opportunities.
The NUPRC boss described the response to the licensing round as positive, noting that several companies showed interest in participating in the process.
She revealed that nearly 300 companies initially expressed interest, but the number reduced after the prequalification stage.
A total of 196 companies passed the screening process, while 143 firms eventually took part in the commercial bidding stage and submitted about 200 bids.
The 2025 Licensing Round was introduced in November 2025 under the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021, with 50 oil and gas blocks made available across seven sedimentary basins in Nigeria.
The assets offered included blocks located in the Niger Delta, shallow waters, deep offshore areas, Benin Basin, Anambra Basin, Chad Basin and Benue Trough.
The bidding process began in December 2025 after the opening of the application portal. A pre-bid conference was later held in Lagos in January 2026, while registration and prequalification activities ended in February. The evaluation of bids was completed in March.
Successful bidders are expected to be selected based on factors such as financial strength, technical ability, proposed exploration plans, signature bonus offers and performance guarantees.
The government said the licensing process is aimed at attracting capable investors who can boost oil and gas exploration and increase production in the country.
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