31 Companies Win 37 Oil and Gas Blocks in Nigeria’s 2025 Licensing Round
By Aboki Forex —
Thirty-one companies have emerged winners of 37 oil and gas blocks following the conclusion of Nigeria’s 2025 Licensing Round. The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) announced the successful bidders in a statement issued on Tuesday.
The commercial bid conference was held at the Transcorp Event Centre in Abuja on July 21, 2026. Of the 50 blocks on offer, 37 attracted bids while the remaining 13 received no bids.
NUPRC confirms winners across diverse terrains
“After a keenly contested bidding process, 31 companies have emerged winners of 37 oil and gas blocks at the 2025 Licensing Round which held at the Transcorp Event Centre in Abuja on July 21, 2026,” the Commission said.
The blocks are drawn from diverse terrains. The Niger Delta Onshore accounted for 16 blocks, while the Niger Delta Shallow Water accounted for 18. The Niger Delta Deep Offshore had one block. The Benin Basin Onshore had three blocks. The Anambra Basin Onshore, Chad Basin and Benue Trough each had four blocks.
“This is the first time in Nigeria’s energy history that frontier basins would attract such level of investor interest,” the NUPRC said.
Successful bidders include SSonic Petroleum Limited, CFP Pipeline and Flowlines, Dutchford E&P Limited, Attabanson Global Company Limited, Rosem Energy Limited, Pivot-GIS Limited, Network E&P, Asharami, LexOil, BVOF and Gupsco Energy Limited. Other winners include Saratoga, Volante, Concept-Reel Petroleum Services Limited, Clinton Oil Field, Nuway Oaklane Limited, Ramec, Italia, Blueridge E&P, Up Energies Limited, AYM Shafa, Blackrock Holdings Limited, Funtay Integrated Business Limited and Riparian Development and Production Limited. The list also includes Nikstallis, Stardeep Petroleum, Dakoda & U Limited, Southborne Oil and Gas Limited, Lanaka Petroleum, Highban Resources Limited and Eyre Energy Limited.
NUPRC warns winners to pay bonuses and develop assets
NUPRC Chief Executive Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan urged the successful bidders to pay their signature bonuses without delay and commence development of the awarded assets. Eyesan warned that companies that fail to develop their assets could risk losing them under the Commission’s “drill or drop” provision.
The Commission said the winning companies would be presented with final awards after the payment of the appropriate signature bonuses and approval by the Minister of Petroleum Resources, in line with the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021.
The commercial bid conference was monitored by representatives of the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources, the Federal Ministry of Finance, the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative and other stakeholders in line with applicable laws.
What this means for Nigeria’s oil sector
The 2025 Licensing Round attracted bids across all terrains, including the country’s frontier basins for the first time. The NUPRC had in December 2025 officially launched the round and introduced a digital bid portal as Nigeria moves to deepen investment and strengthen activities in the upstream sector. The successful conclusion of the round signals continued investor confidence in Nigeria’s oil and gas sector, with potential implications for government revenue and crude production levels going forward.