The Federal Government has returned 13 oil and gas blocks to the national licensing pool after the assets failed to attract bids during the 2025 oil licensing round, even as 143 companies submitted about 200 bids for other available blocks.
The Chief Executive of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan, disclosed the development on Tuesday at the 2025 Commercial Bid Conference in Abuja.
Eyesan said the government had initially offered 50 oil and gas blocks to investors, but only 37 attracted representations from prospective bidders. The remaining 13 blocks will therefore be returned to the licensing basket for potential future offers.
“At the end of the exercise, we had 50 blocks on offer, but we only had representation for 37 of those 50 blocks. Thirteen of those blocks will be returning to the basket,” Eyesan said.
She added that the licensing process initially attracted interest from nearly 300 companies. Following prequalification, the number of eligible firms was reduced to 196 before 143 companies eventually participated in the commercial bidding stage, submitting approximately 200 bids.
The development is significant for Nigeria’s oil and gas sector as the government seeks to attract fresh investment, increase exploration and boost crude oil and gas production. The level of participation also indicates continued investor interest in the country’s upstream petroleum industry, despite the 13 blocks that failed to attract bids.
The 2025 licensing round, conducted under the framework of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021, offered assets across several of Nigeria’s sedimentary basins, including onshore, shallow-water and deep offshore areas, as well as frontier basins.
The NUPRC said successful bidders would be assessed through a weighted evaluation that considers factors including signature bonus commitments, proposed work programmes, technical competence, financial capacity and performance guarantees.
The latest development comes as Nigeria continues efforts to reverse years of underinvestment and improve oil production. The outcome of the licensing process is expected to shape the next phase of upstream exploration and investment in the country’s petroleum industry.
