ABUJA — The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission has launched its 2026 licensing round, offering 40 oil and gas blocks onshore, in shallow water and in deep water. Chief Executive Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan said bidders must disclose their beneficial owners and that the evaluation process and results will be published, in line with recommendations from NEITI. She also announced plans to restore more than 788,000 barrels per day of shut-in production and to bring $30–50 billion of offshore projects to final investment decision. In the 2025 round, 143 companies submitted about 200 bids and 31 firms won 37 blocks. Vice President Kashim Shettima represented President Tinubu at the event.