Our Staff
The Senate Committee on Petroleum (Upstream) says Nigeria’s petroleum laws can no longer stand as they are. Committee Chairman, Senator Williams Eteng, said the National Assembly is preparing amendments to bring the statutes in line with today’s economic conditions, calling many of the current provisions obsolete. 
Speaking to journalists after the committee’s meeting, the lawmaker representing Cross River Central said the focus is clear. The goal, he explained, is to strengthen the sector through better infrastructure, higher crude oil output, and a legal framework that can support long-term growth.
“Our major focus is looking at ways of improving the petroleum sector, strengthening infrastructure, and increasing crude oil production,” Eteng stated. He noted that without modern rules, it will be difficult to attract the kind of investment needed to expand capacity.
The committee has already received a formal proposal to amend the principal petroleum laws. Eteng pointed out that some of the penalties and fines written into the laws have not been reviewed in decades, making them ineffective as deterrents today.
“A presentation has been made for us to amend the principal petroleum laws. The penalties are old and outdated. Some of the fines were enacted in 1951, while others date back to 1962,” he said. “There is a need to bring these laws in line with present-day realities.”
According to him, a review has become necessary to ensure the regulations match modern economic conditions and provide effective oversight for the industry. He stressed that laws must evolve if they are to remain useful.
“Laws are made to serve society, and they must be amended from time to time to reflect current economic realities,” the senator added.
Eteng also cleared the air on reports that the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited sent a junior officer to the committee. He said the person present was the company’s liaison officer to the National Assembly, not a management representative. “NNPCL requested an excuse, and another date will be fixed,” he explained, while reaffirming the committee’s commitment to engage stakeholders as it pushes reforms to modernize the sector, improve regulatory efficiency, and create room for more investment and production.
