Gbenga Komolafe, the Chief Executive of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), has been named among Africa’s top energy experts invited to address the Sixth Ordinary Session of the Pan-African Parliament (PAP), which is holding in Midrand, South Africa, this November.
The 14-day parliamentary session, which began on November 3, will gather lawmakers, policymakers, and development leaders from across Africa to discuss governance priorities and sustainable growth strategies.
Komolafe, who heads the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), was invited in recognition of his dual role as Nigeria’s chief upstream regulator and interim President of the Africa Forum for Petroleum Regulators and Frameworks (AFRIPERF).
His invitation, analysts say, signals fresh acknowledgement of Nigeria’s leadership in petroleum sector reform under President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
Focus on sustainable upstream regulation
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According to a letter from the Bureau of the Pan-African Parliament dated October 17, 2025, Komolafe will deliver a keynote paper titled “Legislative Frameworks for Sustainable Upstream Regulation in Africa’s Oil and Gas Sector.”
The Parliament stated that the session would examine how sound legal and institutional frameworks can enhance environmental responsibility, accountability, and transparency across the continent’s extractive industries.
Komolafe is expected to highlight Nigeria’s experience with the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) — particularly its provisions for fiscal stability, host community engagement, and investor confidence — as a model for African energy governance.
Nigeria’s reforms gaining continental traction
PAP noted that insights from Nigeria’s petroleum reforms could guide efforts to design model laws for member states and deepen regional cooperation on energy transition and resource management.
This marks only the second time in recent years that a Nigerian public official has been invited to address the PAP plenary — a platform often reserved for distinguished African reformers shaping the continent’s development agenda.
Observers say Komolafe’s inclusion reflects Nigeria’s rising influence in the discourse on responsible and sustainable resource management.
Since assuming office, Komolafe has championed digitised licensing, stricter environmental oversight, and performance-based regulation — reforms credited with restoring investor confidence and lifting Nigeria’s oil output to about 1.7 million barrels per day.
Gas flaring has dropped to 7.16 per cent, its lowest in nearly two decades, while host community relations have improved under the PIA’s engagement framework.
Shaping Africa’s energy future
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The Bureau stated that Komolafe’s presentation would align with the African Union’s Agenda 2063, which aims for inclusive growth, sustainability, and an energy transition.
Analysts view the invitation as both a personal milestone for Komolafe and a national endorsement of Nigeria’s evolving energy governance model.
By joining other continental experts at the plenary, Komolafe is expected to strengthen regional regulatory collaboration and reinforce Africa’s collective push toward a just and sustainable energy future.
