THE Chief Executive of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, NMDPRA, Malam Rabiu Umar, says Nigeria’s oil and gas industry has the ideas, technology and expertise required for growth but must prioritise effective execution.
Umar stated this on Tuesday in Lagos at the 2026 Nigerian Annual International Conference and Exhibition (NAICE) of the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE).
He said discussions should now shift from policy formulation to translating reforms into bankable projects capable of attracting investment and delivering measurable economic benefits.
“The only thing we need to talk about is execution. We have the ideas, we have the technology and we have some of the expertise.
“The focus now should be on how we execute,” he said.
According to Umar, sustainable growth in the energy sector depends on balancing a competitive fiscal regime, foreign investment and robust local content development.
He said while foreign capital remained critical for financing large-scale projects, local content was essential for developing indigenous expertise and ensuring long-term industry sustainability.
The NMDPRA chief executive stressed that both objectives required a stable, transparent and predictable regulatory environment.
He said Nigeria’s fiscal, regulatory and institutional frameworks must work in harmony to transform the country’s abundant petroleum resources into sustainable economic growth.
Umar noted that investors sought more than resource opportunities, saying regulatory certainty, contract sanctity, transparent approval processes and consistent government policies were key to attracting long-term investments.
He said the authority remained committed to implementing the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) by streamlining regulatory processes, eliminating unnecessary administrative bottlenecks and creating a more predictable operating environment without compromising safety, environmental standards, market integrity or national energy security.
Umar described local content as an economic development strategy rather than merely a statutory obligation.
According to him, the goal is to build Nigerian companies with the technical and financial capacity to design, construct, operate and maintain critical energy infrastructure while remaining globally competitive.
He added that foreign investment and local content should complement each other through technology transfer, workforce development, domestic manufacturing and increased indigenous participation across the energy value chain.
Highlighting industry progress, Um
ar said indigenous operators had significantly expanded their role in Nigeria’s onshore oil production, while international oil companies increasingly focused on technically complex deepwater operations.
He expressed confidence that Nigeria could achieve its target of producing three million barrels of crude oil per day by 2030, citing rising investments in gas processing, refining, compressed natural gas (CNG), liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and other critical infrastructure.
According to him, the sector is recording positive momentum in crude oil production, gas development and infrastructure investment, which should be sustained through policy consistency and investor-friendly regulation.
Umar also disclosed that the Midstream and Downstream Gas Infrastructure Fund (MDGIF) had continued to support investments in CNG and gas processing projects to de-risk investments and encourage greater private sector participation.
He urged stakeholders to develop practical recommendations that would translate policy into bankable projects, strengthen collaboration among regulatory and fiscal institutions, reduce investment risks and accelerate local capacity development.
“The success of this discussion should be measured by the quality of practical recommendations that can be implemented to grow Nigeria’s energy industry,” he said.
.(NAN)
A.I
Aug. 4, 2026
Tags: Malam Rabiu Umar NAICE NMDPRA
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