On June 20, 2026, the Senate Committee on Downstream Petroleum Sector has officially vowed to permanently resolve the ongoing jurisdictional and regulatory conflicts between the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) and the Oil and Gas Free Zone Authority (OGFZA).
Speaking at the conclusion of the committee’s five-day retreat in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, the Chairman of the Committee, Senator Abdulrahman Sumaila, assured stakeholders that the Senate will deliver practical, evidence-based, and implementable recommendations to restore harmony and safeguard Nigeria’s economic interests.
Senator Sumaila emphasized that the retreat served as a neutral platform designed to facilitate constructive engagement among overlapping authorities. The committee’s primary focus is to establish a regulatory environment defined by accountability, efficiency, and legal certainty.
The key objectives driving the committee’s upcoming framework include:
Facilitating Meaningful Dialogue: Addressing the friction arising from overlapping statutory mandates between the agencies.
Developing a Coordination Framework: Promoting seamless regulations while fully respecting the lawful mandates of each institution.
Legislative and Constitutional Reforms: Identifying legal ambiguities and recommending permanent legislative amendments or policy reforms where necessary to prevent future conflicts.
Securing National Interests: Ensuring all outcomes align with national security, consumer protection, market stability, and sustainable economic growth.
Where permanent legislation, policy, or constitutional reforms are required to prevent conflicts among the agencies, the committee will not hesitate to recommend such measures in the overriding interest of the nation.Our ultimate goal is to strengthen Nigeria’s position as the leading energy hub in Africa.
Senator Abdulrahman Sumaila.
In his remarks at the retreat, the Managing Director of the Oil and Gas Free Zone Authority (OGFZA), Alhaji Bamanga Jada, appealed to all regulatory bodies to halt actions that promote unhealthy jurisdictional ambiguity. He urged agencies to focus on creating a business-enabling environment anchored on the rule of law to sustain global investor confidence.
Jada highlighted the necessity of protecting free zone operations to maintain international competitiveness, pointing to major economic drivers like the Dangote Industries Free Zone.
If Nigeria is to become Africa’s foremost energy and industrial hub, Free Zone investors must be allowed to enjoy the ‘one-stop-shop’ principle practiced in successful Free Zones across the globe. They all operate one coordinated regulatory system, and all institutions of government must be encouraged to understand the greater national objectives of the Free Zone scheme.
Alhaji Bamanga Jada
The Senate Committee will now review all presentations, legal arguments, and submissions gathered during the five-day retreat to formulate an unbiased, objective roadmap. The final recommendations will offer both immediate and long-term solutions to ensure institutional collaboration and boost investor confidence across Nigeria’s petroleum and industrial sectors.
