The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission has advanced the 2025 oil and gas licensing round to the bidding stage after completing the pre-qualification process and notifying successful applicants.

The 2025 licensing round is part of Nigeria’s efforts to attract investment into the upstream petroleum sector. The exercise was formally launched in December 2025 following approval by the Federal Government.

The bid round offers 50 oil and gas blocks across major basins, including the Niger Delta, Anambra, Bida, Benue Trough and Chad basins. The process aims to support exploration and increase crude oil production.

In a statement issued by the commission, it confirmed that the pre-qualification stage was completed on March 16, 2026, in line with the 2025 Licensing Round Guidelines.

The statement read:

“The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission wishes to inform the public that it has completed the pre-qualification stage of the 2025 Licensing Round and has notified successful pre-qualified applicants accordingly.”

The commission added that from March 17, 2026, qualified applicants can begin accessing subsurface data required for preparing technical and commercial bids.

The regulator stated that only pre-qualified applicants will proceed to the next phase. These applicants must obtain geological and geophysical data from approved sources before submitting bids.

It further noted:

“Pre-qualified applicants are mandated to lease data only from the two data sources… and upload evidence of payment as a prerequisite to the submission of bids.”

The commission said the process will be conducted through a dedicated digital portal to improve transparency and efficiency.

The transition to the bidding stage marks a key step in the licensing process. It moves the exercise from screening to competitive evaluation of technical and commercial proposals.

The outcome of this phase will determine which companies are awarded oil and gas blocks under the 2025 round.