By Chibuike Nwabuko
Abuja,(Precise Post) — The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) on Friday inaugurated a Technical Working Group (TWG) on Investment Promotion, in a move aimed at unlocking fresh capital inflows into Nigeria’s midstream and downstream oil and gas sector.
Precise Post recalls that the inaugural meeting of the TWG brings together key institutions, including the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC), the Oil and Gas Free Zones Authority (OGFZA), and the Nigeria Export Processing Zones Authority (NEPZA).
According to the statement released on the official X handle of the NMDPRA @NMDPRA_Official, the initiative signals a coordinated federal push to harmonise regulatory frameworks, align incentives, and streamline operational processes to improve the ease of doing business across Nigeria’s energy value chain.
Speaking at the meeting, the Authority Chief Executive, Engr. Saidu Mohammed, represented by Acting Executive Director, Economic Regulation and Strategic Planning, Dr. Olasupo Agbaje, said the establishment of the TWG is rooted in the investment-enabling provisions of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA).
He noted that the Act provides for greater licensing transparency, infrastructure development, open access principles, and market-based pricing reforms, all critical to building investor confidence.
According to the Authority, the midstream and downstream segments, spanning gas processing, transportation pipelines, LNG, LPG, refining, storage, distribution, and retail are central to Nigeria’s energy security and industrialisation goals.
Deliberations at the meeting also addressed longstanding challenges, including infrastructure deficits, foreign exchange exposure risks, and contractual enforcement concerns. Participants explored how free zone frameworks could be leveraged to catalyse export-oriented energy projects.
By convening NIPC, OGFZA, and NEPZA under a unified coordination platform, NMDPRA said it is charting a new course of structured inter-agency collaboration designed to position Nigeria as a competitive destination for petroleum sector investments.
