Nigeria’s upstream regulator plans to award 220 “open” oil and gas blocks across multiple bid rounds, part of a push to revive investment and lift output under the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) framework.
The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) said the inventory spans onshore, shallow-water and deepwater acreage, including 59 deep-offshore blocks, with awards to follow periodic licensing rounds once conditions are met.
NUPRC has stressed the blocks are not “abandoned” but awaiting concessions in line with the PIA, which empowers the agency to grant Petroleum Prospecting Licences and Mining Leases.
The plan builds on recent rounds that concluded in 2024 and on a 2025 licensing push announced earlier, focused on discovered but undeveloped fields and fallow assets.
Industry briefings suggest the expanded auction slate is aimed at accelerating project sanctioning and potentially adding up to ~1 million b/d over time if exploration and appraisal are successful, though timelines will hinge on financing, fiscal terms and security. 
Local reports indicate NUPRC recently published concession status data to improve transparency after some licences lapsed mid-2025; the regulator says awards will proceed as bid processes conclude and obligations are fulfilled.
