Chief Executive of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), Gbenga Komolafe, has been listed among leading continental experts invited to address the Sixth Ordinary Session of the Pan-African Parliament (PAP) in November 2025. Gbenga received the invitation as a NUPRC executive and an interim President of the Africa Forum for Petroleum Regulators and Frameworks (AFRIPERF), and it marks a rare recognition of Nigeria’s leadership in upstream oil and gas reforms under Tinubu’s government.
In a letter dated October 17, 2025, the Bureau of the Pan-African Parliament extended an invitation to Gbenga to hand over a paper on “Legislative Frameworks for Sustainable Upstream Regulation in Africa’s Oil and Gas Sector,” during the upcoming session.
“This topic explores how robust legislative reforms can advance sustainability in Africa’s upstream oil and gas operations, inviting insights from your leadership at NUPRC and as Acting Chairman of AFRIPERF,” the letter read.
The Bureau noted that the parliament looks forward to Komolafe’s insights on Nigeria’s Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) and how its model of transparency, community inclusion, and investment-friendly regulation can guarantee a unified energy governance framework.
The invitation stated that Nigeria’s latest petroleum reforms would make it easier for the Pan-African Parliament to come up with model laws across member states to boost transparency, environmental standards and revenue fairness in the extractive sector.
The PAP’s plenary session is a platform for African leaders whose efforts have triggered Africa’s development agenda, and Gbenga Komolafe won’t be the first Nigerian public official invited to speak at the gathering.
According to observers, Komolafe’s invite proves how impactful the PIA and its subsequent implementation have become under Tinubu’s government.
Since he became NUPRC CEO, Komolafe has spearheaded a fresh culture of transparency and performance in the country’s upstream sector.
Gbenga has been lauded for his efforts to streamline licensing procedures, enforce environmental accountability, and restore investor confidence in the industry.
The Bureau of the Pan-African Parliament concluded by saying that Komolafe’s address would form part of the session’s broader agenda to aid the African Union’s Agenda 2063, especially its targets of environmental protection, energy transition and inclusive growth across Africa.
