Exclusive! Gbenga Komolafe’s NUPRC Legacy and the Price of Reform

 

The news came as a shock to many: Engineer Gbenga Komolafe, the pioneer Chief Executive of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), has resigned. Just ten months before completing his first term, a man who transformed Nigeria’s oil and gas sector walks away, not in disgrace, but as collateral damage in the recent controversy between Dangote and Mallam Ahmed Farouk, the now ex-managing director of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA).

For those who understand Nigeria’s petroleum industry, Komolafe’s four-year journey reads like a miracle story. He took charge in October 2021 when the sector was bleeding from crude oil theft, with only 8 active drilling rigs and investor confidence at rock bottom. Today, he leaves behind over 40 active rigs, a staggering 760% growth, and a sector that finally works.

The Numbers Don’t Lie

Under Komolafe’s watch, NUPRC didn’t just meet revenue targets, it crushed them. The Commission recorded surpluses of 18.3% in 2022, 14.6% in 2023, and an impressive 84.2% in 2024 against a N6.98 trillion budget. Oil production climbed to 1.7 million barrels per day, while oil theft, once a monster consuming hundreds of thousands of barrels daily, was reduced to just 5,000 barrels per day.

Gas production averaged seven billion standard cubic feet per day, and internally generated revenue exceeded 84% of targets. These aren’t just statistics; they represent billions of naira flowing into Nigeria’s treasury instead of vanishing into the hands of oil thieves and corrupt operators

Komolafe’s secret wasn’t magic, it was discipline and innovation. He introduced the Hydrocarbon Metering Regulations and Automated Cargo Declaration Systems, making it nearly impossible for oil to leave Nigerian shores unaccounted for. The Advanced Cargo Declaration Regulation and Engineering Audit of Upstream Measurement Equipment plugged leakages that had bled the nation dry for decades.

But perhaps his most visionary move was Project One Million, launched in October 2024 to push the sector even further. He also ensured that oil-producing communities weren’t left behind, growing Host Community Development Trusts to over N350 billion—money that funded real projects and restored peace in volatile areas.

The Price of Integrity

Nigeria’s petroleum sector is treacherous terrain. In over three decades, few regulators have emerged unscathed. The industry is filled with powerful interests, “buccaneers,” as some call them, who profit from opacity and chaos. Komolafe’s insistence on regulatory conformity and transparency made him enemies. They waited for an opening, and the Mallam Farouk-Dangote debacle gave them one.

Industry observers agree: Komolafe’s exit isn’t about wrongdoing. It’s about a system that sometimes sacrifices its best for vested interests. Even his critics admit he repositioned Nigeria’s petroleum sector beyond recognition. His signature on the industry’s transformation is permanent.

There’s something deeply Nigerian, and deeply tragic, about this moment. A man who gave his all, who navigated minefields without personal scandal, leaves office prematurely because of forces beyond his control. It sends a chilling message to future reformers: even excellence isn’t protection enough.

Yet Komolafe leaves with his reputation intact. Unlike others caught in the recent controversy, his name remains unsullied. He proved that it’s possible to serve Nigeria with integrity, even in the petroleum sector’s murky waters.