Federal government is returning 13 oil and gas blocks to the licensing pool after they failed to attract bids in the 2025 round, the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission has announced.
NUPRC Chief Executive Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan disclosed the development at the 2025 Commercial Bid Conference in Abuja.
“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 back to the basket,” she said.
Eyesan expressed satisfaction with overall interest despite the shortfalls. “We have a total of 143 companies showing interest for 200 bids. That, for us, was remarkable, and I must say thank you,” she added.
Nearly 300 companies initially showed interest, which was pruned to 196 after prequalification. The blocks span various basins, including the Niger Delta, shallow water and deep offshore areas.
The move is part of efforts to accelerate exploration and production under the Petroleum Industry Act, with winning bids evaluated on technical and commercial criteria.
