Nigeria: Oil, Gas & Electricity

Nigeria's Arbitration and Mediation Act 2023 fundamentally transforms the country's arbitration framework by codifying the seat of arbitration doctrine in alignment with international standards.

Nigeria’s electricity sector has remained the subject of persistent debate, reform efforts, and unfulfilled promises. Successive administrations since the 1990s have pledged comprehensive transformation of the industry. While some achieved limited structural reforms, many produced little beyond policy papers and committees. The consequence has been a power sector that continues to underperform, with Nigeria generating less electricity per capita than several of its African counterparts.

The Nigerian energy sector, particularly the oil and gas industry, is governed by a complex web of statutory, contractual, and institutional frameworks regulating the exploration, production, transportation, and commercialization of petroleum resources. Owing to the technical complexity of operations, the multiplicity of stakeholders, including the State, multinational oil companies, indigenous operators, regulators, and host communities, as well as the enormous economic interests involved, disputes are an inevitable feature of the sector.

The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission has issued new Decommissioning and Abandonment Regulations 2026, fundamentally reshaping Nigeria's upstream petroleum decommissioning framework.

Nigeria's power sector sees significant regulatory updates as NERC issues the Mini-Grid Regulations 2026, establishing comprehensive frameworks for capacity thresholds, tariff design, grid arrival protocols, and exclusivity arrangements. Concurrently, new transmission loss reporting requirements aim to enhance grid transparency and operational efficiency across regional networks.

The ongoing US–Iran war dynamics, alongside broader Middle East tensions, including Israel–Iran hostilities, have intensified global concern over a potential Strait of Hormuz crisis.

On 25 March 2026, the Central Bank of Nigeria ("CBN") issued a circular granting International Oil Companies ("IOCs") unfettered access to 100% of their export proceeds...

Nigeria’s mining sector entered what seems to be a critical inflection point in 2025, with the Federal Government intensifying efforts to position the sector as a credible contributor to growing its non-oil revenues. The year witnessed improved policy implementation and more assertive regulatory enforcement.

The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), pursuant to Section 167, the Third and Fourth Schedule of the Petroleum Industry Act...