Nigeria issued 7,942 oil and gas industry service permits and 49 upstream monitoring licences in the first quarter of 2026, reflecting sustained activity in the country’s upstream petroleum sector despite a moderation in permit volumes compared to the previous quarter.
This was disclosed in the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission’s Upstream Service Industry Newsletter for the first quarter of 2026.
According to the report, a total of 7,942 permits were issued under the Oil and Gas Industry Service Permit scheme between January and March 2026, while 49 upstream monitoring and regulation licences were granted during the same period.
The commission noted that permit volumes declined 22.3 per cent compared to the fourth quarter of 2025 but attributed the moderation to normal regulatory cycles rather than a slowdown in industry activity.
“A total of 7,942 permits were issued under the OGISP in Q1 2026. This represents a 22.3 per cent decline compared to Q4 2025. Major and specialised permit categories accounted for over 90 per cent of total permits issued,” the report stated.
