Nigeria’s oil and gas industry is undergoing a significant transformation, with new reforms from the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) earning praise for restoring openness and investor confidence.

Public Space Tracker, a Ghana-based governance advocacy group, said in a statement on Wednesday that the Commission, under the leadership of Gbenga Komolafe, has broken with years of secrecy by making vital information on production volumes, licenses, royalties, and revenue payments publicly available.

Dr. Ousman Zaharadeen, convener of the group, noted that for decades the oil sector was associated with corruption and poor accountability, but the NUPRC’s approach has shown that transparent governance is possible.

According to him, the Commission’s enforcement of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA), adoption of real-time crude monitoring systems, and stronger engagement with both operators and host communities have reduced leakages, increased revenue flows, and rebuilt trust in the sector.

The reforms, he added, have also improved Nigeria’s reputation globally, making the country more attractive to investors who now see the regulatory environment as clear and dependable.

“The Commission has reversed years of opacity and placed Nigeria’s oil industry on a track of measurable accountability,” Zaharadeen said, urging other government agencies to adopt similar practices.

He stressed that the lesson from NUPRC’s reforms goes beyond petroleum, highlighting the need for regulators across all sectors to embrace transparency and efficiency to restore public trust in governance.