The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) has called for the speedy completion of its proposed headquarters, known as “The Barrel,” saying the facility will enhance the Commission’s efficiency and strengthen Nigeria’s appeal to oil and gas investors.
The NUPRC Board Chairman, Senator Magnus Ngei Abe, made the call during an inspection of the proposed headquarters located in Abuja’s Central Business District.
The Barrel is a 10-storey building designed in the shape of a convex, curved cylinder that bulges outward at its centre. The facility is expected to accommodate between 900 and 1,000 staff when completed.
The project was initiated in 2020 but remains uncompleted, leaving the NUPRC to operate from smaller offices spread across different locations in the Federal Capital Territory.
Abe expressed concern over the situation, noting that the current arrangement could negatively affect the perception of international investors visiting Nigeria to engage with the petroleum sector regulator.
“It is a thing of great embarrassment to this country when major oil and gas companies come to Nigeria to discuss investments worth billions of dollars, only to meet the regulator in a block of flats and from there proceed to other parts of the city to see different departments to conduct transactions with the NUPRC.
“This image is not just bad for the country, but bad for business,” he said.
The Board Chairman stressed that completing the headquarters would provide a centralised and more efficient working environment for the Commission while projecting a more professional image of Nigeria’s petroleum regulatory architecture.
He said the facility would also support the Commission’s efforts to improve its operations and create a more conducive environment for engagement with investors and other industry stakeholders.
The NUPRC’s proposed headquarters is expected to bring various departments and functions of the Commission under one roof, reducing the operational challenges associated with its current dispersed office arrangement.
