The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) has urged Dangote Refinery and the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) to engage in dialogue to resolve their ongoing dispute. According to NUPRC Chief Executive Gbenga Komolafe, finding a mutually beneficial solution is essential to preventing disruptions to the country’s energy supply. The dispute stems from the refinery’s recent termination of workers and alleged labor rights violations, which have led to labor disputes with PENGASSAN and the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG).

Komolafe emphasized the importance of protecting the integrity of Nigeria’s oil and gas sector, citing the potential for negative narratives to deter investors. He highlighted the significant reduction in oil losses, attributing the improvement to new strategies implemented by the NUPRC. The commission has introduced regulations, including the upstream measurement regulation and the advanced cargo declaration regulation, to track crude oil loaded from terminals to discharge points.

These regulations, described as pioneering initiatives in Nigeria’s over 70 years of exploration and development, aim to ensure that every molecule of crude loaded from the country’s terminals is tracked digitally. The advanced cargo declaration regulation, in particular, enables real-time monitoring of crude oil exports, allowing for instant detection of any discrepancies in cargo volumes. Komolafe noted that the first phase of the regulations’ implementation has been achieved, with the establishment of a statutory regulatory framework in accordance with the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA).

The NUPRC’s efforts to combat crude oil losses have yielded positive results, with a reported 90% reduction in losses between 2021 and 2025. This improvement is attributed to the express directive of President Bola Tinubu to eliminate oil losses and curb theft using both kinetic and non-kinetic approaches. The commission’s initiatives aim to ensure the accuracy of production reports and prevent unauthorized crude oil exports. As the NUPRC continues to work towards eliminating oil losses, the successful implementation of these regulations is expected to have a significant impact on Nigeria’s oil and gas sector, promoting transparency and accountability in the industry.