Opinion
Appraising Komolafe’s Regulatory Renaissance At NUPRC
It is not every day that a nation finds itself blessed with a technocrat whose commitment to due process, institutional reform, transparency, and administrative sanity resonates perfectly with the revered ethos of nation-building. Engineer Gbenga Komolafe, Chief Executive of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), is leading a seismic regulatory renaissance in a period marked by pervasive institutional fragility and operational mediocrity in Nigeria’s oil and gas sector. His leadership is restoring regulatory compliance with surgical precision and deliberate execution, fronting the NUPRC as the guiding tenet of regulatory excellence under the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Engineer Komolafe isn’t just a man of vision who only sees the future, but one who dares to design it. With a rare combination of technical sagacity and administrative rectitude, he has imbued NUPRC with a sense of mission, purpose, and order. Before he assumed office, Nigeria’s upstream petroleum space was a chaotic mosaic of institutional overlaps, the industry was bleeding, investor confidence was waning, and regulatory confusion reigned supreme.
Komolafe came into the sector at the right time when a man of deep institutional insight and procedural fidelity was needed to calm the storm. The turnaround that was seen in the NUPRC within a short span was a bewilderment. It was hard to comprehend that the same agency embattled with a long list of crises could be transformed from a dormant regulatory outfit into an active bastion of reform, accountability, and efficiency. The level of regulatory discipline that was being reinstated within the agency is enough to usher in wonder and the needed hope.
One of the cardinal hallmarks of Engr. Komolafe’s leadership is his unflinching commitment to aligning the NUPRC vision with that of Mr President’s Renewed Hope Agenda. He understands that without systemic design, regulation becomes arbitrary, and without sanctity, compliance becomes a mirage. His approach to governance is not whimsical; it is rooted in institutional theory, policy analysis, and data-driven study.
Under his watch, the NUPRC has transitioned from analogue supervision to algorithm accountability. The Commission has deployed cutting-edge digital platforms to track and fix revenue leakages in oil production and sales. This has further helped in detecting under-reporting, over-lifting, and unremitted royalties that were existing in the Commission. Engr. Komolafe’s insistence on the sector’s compliance with existing laws and international standards has engineered a systemic reordering that is not just reformist in intent but revolutionary in impact.
Perhaps, when the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) was signed into law in 2021, it became the most transformative shift in Nigeria’s oil governance history, providing the most holistic legislative framework for oil sector regulation. Engr. Komolafe’s leadership operationalised the spirit and letter of the PIA in a manner that stuns even the most sceptical observers, sending a clear message that the law is only effective when it’s implemented. From licensing rounds to environmental management, stakeholder engagement to host community trust implementation, the NUPRC under Komolafe has become a living, breathing model of PIA compliance.
To put Komolafe’s efforts into perspective. For instance, the new model marginal field licensing reflects a deliberate and inclusive process that gives room for equity, transparency, and competitiveness. The bidding processes are now technically sound, commercially viable, and publicly verifiable. This has increased investors’ trust and restored Nigeria’s reputation as a stable and credible investment hub in Africa’s oil theatre.
A profound achievement of the NUPRC under Komolafe that’s also noteworthy is the agency’s emphasis on environmental sustainability. For long have Nigeria’s oil-producing communities have suffered from mental, physical, and health hazards of oil spills, environmental degradation, and gas flaring. These were issues that previous regulatory heads treated with lethargy or outright indifference. But not Komolafe.
His administration has operationalised stringent environmental regulations that are now prerequisites for licensing, operations, and facility expansion. He has worked closely with both operators and environmental agencies to ensure that upstream activities do not become ecological crimes. From mandating Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) to enforcing community development trusts as provided under the PIA, the NUPRC has emerged as not only a regulator of profit but a protector of people and planet.
What makes this particularly commendable is the delicate balancing act Komolafe has achieved, ensuring economic efficiency without compromising environmental responsibility. That is the hallmark of true technocratic leadership. At this point, it would be a profound misreading of history to discuss Komolafe’s regulatory renaissance without aligning it with the broader architecture of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
At its root, the Renewed Hope Agenda on its own is a call for economic diversification, fiscal discipline, institutional reform, and a surge of national reawakening. When observed meticulously, whether consciously or instinctively, one could tell that Komolafe has become one of its foremost soldiers. However, Komolafe’s fight against revenue leakage directly complements President Tinubu’s aggressive revenue mobilisation strategies. His environmental sustainability policies are in tune with Mr President’s green economic blueprint and transition plan.
His emphasis on institutional transparency is a reflection of President Tinubu’s administration’s desire for inclusivity and open governance. It is almost as if both leaders are engaged in a regulatory choreography— as Mr President is providing the policy beat, Komolafe is executing the operational dance in synchronisation. Through the visionary leadership of Komolafe, the abstract ideals have found a concrete expression in the petroleum regulatory space. What makes this outstanding is that it has been achieved without theatrical noise.
Perhaps, in a country where many agencies have been reduced to conduits for patronage, extortion, and policy lethargy, NUPRC is emerging as an archetype of institutional excellence. Komolafe has institutionalised the use of big data analytics in production forecasting. He has developed and implemented an automated platform for crude oil and gas accounting. He is investing in human capacity, research, and continuous policy innovation. The agency’s strategic plan for 2024–2030 is both aspirational and actionable, complete with timelines, metrics, and monitoring frameworks.
In truth, Engr. Komolafe has not just restored regulatory compliance—he has restored regulatory dignity. The growth attained by the NUPRC under his leadership has affirmed that sanity is not a utopian abstraction—it is a deliberate outcome of vision matched with competence. It is to admit, with refreshing humility, that transformational leadership is not alien to Nigeria. It is here. It is working. And it is astonishing.
Nigerians have become so absorbed in the achievements of the NUPRC that we forgot the man orchestrating them behind the scenes. But that would be a grave injustice and omission. Even though he’s a silent achiever who detests his praises being sung, Engr Gbenga Komolafe is undoubtedly a rare breed— a bureaucrat of substance, a technocrat of vision, a good representation of an extraordinary deviation, and a patriot of deep conviction.
He is a man whose quiet demeanour belies the intensity of his purpose. His modesty and sheer humility camouflage his brilliance. But make no mistake: Nigeria has found in him a national asset—one that must be protected, celebrated, and emulated. He stands today in history as a public servant who embodies regulatory purpose, and as a man who did not come to the NUPRC to enrich himself, but to enrich the nation through service and sanity.
With every policy implemented, every loophole sealed, every investor reassured, and every community empowered, the NUPRC under Komolafe is restoring what had nearly been lost: national confidence, sectoral credibility, and institutional trust.
Authorityngr.com
By Ismail Omipidan
The return of Governor Siminalayi Fubara after the expiration of the six-month emergency rule has been widely applauded by many Nigerians. To avoid any unguarded utterances, the governor, on his return to the state, appeared to tactfully distance himself from his army of supporters who had thronged the Rivers State Government House on Thursday. Instead, he showed up yesterday, and promptly delivered a statewide broadcast to the people of the state.
Before his return, there were concerns over the details of the peace deal that paved the way for his reinstatement. While some argued that he would serve only one term, others insist that the arrangement heavily favours his estranged godfather and current FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike.
Wike was on Politics Today with Seun Okinbaloye on Thursday. He declined to reveal details of the peace deal. But any peace deal whose terms remain shrouded in secrecy cannot, in my view, be regarded as fair or just. I stand to be corrected.
For now, it appears that only Wike, Fubara, and perhaps President Bola Ahmed Tinubu know the exact contents of the peace deal or understanding.
However, as a trained political communication specialist, I find that Fubara’s statewide broadcast offers a glimpse into parts of the agreement. This is particularly evident in paragraph 10 of his speech, where he stated: “To those who have expressed genuine fears, frustrations, and uncertainty over the nature of the peace process, I assure you that your concerns are valid and understood.” In essence, the governor acknowledged that the public’s fears and doubts about the peace deal are not unfounded. By validating these concerns and admitting that he understands them, Fubara tacitly concedes that there are indeed contentious aspects of the arrangement.
The governor was, however, quick to add that “nothing has been irretrievably lost; there remains ample opportunity for necessary adjustments, continued reconciliation, and inclusiveness.” My understanding of these lines are these: One, even if there is a clause for now in that peace deal that would prevent him from seeking a second term, his good behaviour and willingness to play ball, going forward may make change their minds, thereby adjusting the peace deal to allow him seek a second term. Two, certain things that he was not too pleased with could equally be adjusted as time goes by, once he showed genuine reconciliation efforts. And by shunning the crowd on Thursday, the governor appears to be ready for a genuine reconciliation.
For me, the only reason Fubara may be willing to fight again is if, after abiding religiously by the terms of the peace deal without reservations, he is still denied a second-term bid.
Already, he has been stripped of critical levers of power: he has no control over the local governments in the state, he is not in charge of the House of Assembly, and, if the feelers I’m getting are anything to go by, he is unlikely to be in full control of his cabinet either. Having been politically weakened on all fronts, it would be unwise and indeed provocative to further deny him a re-election ticket. In our recent political history, the only governor who was denied a second-term ticket on the basis of non-performance was Chinwoke Mbadinuju of Anambra State under the PDP in 2003. So far, no one can say Fubara hasn’t performed, as such, non performance cannot be adduced as a reason should they decide to strike. My point is, if they do, as being planned, it will be on the basis of politics, a development that may trigger another round of political unrest in the state.
With the benefit of hindsight, Fubara would have already seen the end of Wike’s dominance in Rivers politics, if not for Wike’s current status as a minister, backed firmly by the very man who appointed him.
By Kola Odepeju
I doubt if Shola Fasure will ever cease to amuse the people in his blind defense of his paymaster, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola who was recently described as “Asín ti kò mò pé òhun n rùn” (the shrew that doesn’t know that it smells) by governor Adeleke of Osun for verbally attacking his benefactor, PBAT. But little can one be surprised about Fasure’s blind defense of his boss because he must justify his earnings and secondly, since he himself lacks integrity, it’s easy for him to always come out to come up with drivels in the name of defending his boss.
Fasure’s continued attempts to distort history only shows that he’s either a poor student of history or he’s simply being mischievous. But I like to believe more in the latter being in his DNA. Just like the leopard that doesn’t change its spots, so will a person given to mischief comes out regularly to ply his/her trade. This is the case with Fasure who himself doesn’t believe his own stories with respect to Tinubu/Aregbesola political relationship. Fasure has been trying so hard to distort history though; misinforming the public that Aregbesola is the one that made Tinubu but not vice-versa, he subjects himself to ridicule each time he comes out to turn history upside down and to do surgery to the already battered image of his boss.
One of Nigeria’s veteran journalists, Mayor Akinpelu came out recently to call a spade a spade by telling the public the truths about Aregbesola/Tinubu political relationship. Of course his narration wasn’t in any way different from what the general public had already known before about Aregbesola and his relationship with Tinubu. There was no addition or subtraction in what Mayor Akinpelu said about Aregbesola. All what he said about him are nothing but the truth. No attempt did he make – in the least – either to blackmail Aregbesola or tarnish his image. So my question is; when has saying the truth become an offense under the sky for Fasure to now come out again from his shell and be attacking Akinpelu, an apolitical person who was just doing his job as a social commentator?
Like Akinpelu said in his article, was Aregbesola not scruffy looking prior to his being catapulted by Tinubu? Wasn’t he a pauper before his path crossed with that of Tinubu? Was his usual and regular wear then not Jalamia? Wasn’t his car rickety and smoky like a locomotive? The point is that Aregbesola was a complete pauper before he met Tinubu, a fact known to so many people – except only Fasure – and a fact Aregbesola himself testified to in some occasions; that it was Tinubu that God used to uplift him. I recall here that Aregbesola said in one of our media meetings with him at the State House in Osogbo when he was governor that “if l had not met Tinubu, l would have also still be struggling like you people by now”.
Ogbeni Aregbesola had also said in a video which is in public domain that after God, he owes whatever he’s today to Tinubu. So only God knows where Fasure conjures his own side of the story from which l see as only tales by moonlight different from reality. His story can only be believed by fools and accepted by idiots.
Comparing Aregbesola’s case with that of Yemi Osibajo, Babafemi Ojudu and other names he mentioned in his write-up is preposterous and doesn’t align with common sense in the least. One, these are people who had recorded appreciable successes in their chosen careers and living comfortably before their paths crossed with Tinubu. They were accomplished professionals on their own as at the time their political relationships with Tinubu started; unlike Aregbesola who was a nobody by the time he met Tinubu. I say this without any fear of contradiction because l was on ground at Cresta Laurel where these people served on the transition committees set up by Tinubu then as the governor-elect.
Two, even though these people may have at one time or the other had disagreements with Tinubu, did they ever insult Tinubu as Aregbesola did? Did they display insolence to Tinubu like Rauf? Disagreements are normal in politics but attacking your God-sent benefactor is the most unwise and stupid thing to do by anybody. This is where Shola Fasure’s boss disappointed many of his admirers including this writer.
In conclusion, Shola Fasure in his warped thinking opined that “Batists have slavery in their DNA”. This, to me, is a fallacious opinion of a mind filled with ingratitude. Rather than proving Mayor Akinpelu wrong with evidence about what he (Akinpelu) said about Aregbesola, Fasure was busy attacking him and calling Batists names.
This is a fallacy of ad hominem. Of course Fasure cannot pretend not to know that politics is about hundred percent loyalty. It’s either you’re completely loyal or you take the exit door. Batists are loyal to Tinubu because he deserves it as he has proven to be a reliable and dependable leader. But if Fasure in his wrong perception of Batists as having slavish mentality in their DNA still holds on to this fallacy, then they’re by far better than Aregbesola’s followers who have ingratitude in their DNA just like their leader.
● Odepeju, newspaper columnist and political activist writes from Lagos.
The Christ Apostolic Church (CAC) has issued a strong rebuttal to comments made by Pastor Biodun Fatoyinbo regarding the life and ministry of its first General Evangelist, Apostle Joseph Ayo Babalola.
In a statement signed by Pastor Ade Alawode, Director of Publicity, CAC, the church said it was “necessary to address your recent statements… for the following three reasons: Scriptural Justification… Clarification of Truth… Defense of Legacy.”
The statement was in response to Fatoyinbo’s viral message in which he reportedly acknowledged that Apostle Babalola was highly anointed but “had no money” and went on to ask sarcastically, “Where are his children?”
Click link to read CAC’s Full Statement
Dear Pastor Biodun Fatoyinbo,
Greetings to you in the Name of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.
Ordinarily, we do not respond to social media commentaries or controversies. However, we consider it necessary to address your recent statements, which have been widely circulated on your social media platforms, for the following three reasons:
1. Scriptural Justification — The Bible permits us to respond wisely to folly to prevent arrogance (Proverbs 26:5).
2. Clarification of Truth — To correct the misleading narrative you are promoting about ministry and wealth.
3. Defense of Legacy — To address the inaccurate claims you’ve made regarding the life and ministry of Apostle Joseph Ayo Babalola, the first General Evangelist of Christ Apostolic Church.
In one of your trending messages on YouTube, you acknowledged that Apostle Babalola was highly anointed but “had no money”, and then went on to ask sarcastically, “Where are his children?” — a question that was both insensitive and ill-informed.
To equate anointing or ministerial success with material wealth is biblically flawed. The words of Jesus are clear:
“Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses.” — Luke 12:15.
Yet, your teachings suggest otherwise.
In doing so, you promote what the Bible refers to as Simony — the monetization of spiritual gifts (Acts 8:18–24). The Scriptures do not teach that money is a sign of anointing. Rather, “the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil” (1 Timothy 6:10). Which Bible do you read and preach from?
On the Question of Apostle Babalola’s Children
Ethically speaking, Apostle Babalola had children. Simple arithmetic should help you understand that they would be advanced in age by now — possibly your grandparents’ age. What did you hope to achieve with the mocking question, “Where are the children of Babalola?”
Your statement reflects more on the kind of company you keep, but as a preacher of the Word, shouldn’t your conduct and utterances be guided by Scripture?
Where in the Bible does your brand of prosperity theology originate — one that demeans people for not being wealthy? Isn’t such a message encouraging greed, corruption, and godlessness, especially in a nation already struggling with moral decay?
Setting the Record Straight
For the sake of truth and posterity, let me correct the public misrepresentations you’ve made regarding Apostle Joseph Ayo Babalola:
1. Calling
Apostle Babalola was called by God on October 10, 1928, at the age of 24. His ministry spanned Western and Midwestern Nigeria, and extended to the Gold Coast (now Ghana), marked by undeniable signs and wonders.
2. Wealth and Lifestyle
He was blessed — but not materialistic or greedy. He gave lands to the Church, supported the education of many, fed the poor, and lived sacrificially. He housed more people than just his biological children.
When Queen Elizabeth II visited Nigeria in February 1956, Apostle Babalola was among the honored guests. Would a man in rags be granted such recognition by a colonial government? Certainly not.
He was no fundraiser, yet God supplied his needs. His diaries are filled with divine provisions like: “Ipese Olorun loni: £100.00, £50.00…”
He lived in a befitting home, drove one of the best Ford Jeeps of his time, and funded weddings, education, and apprenticeship programs — all without exploiting the pulpit.
3. Family
His children — Mama Eunice Wuraola Ogini and Apeke Adeniyi — are alive, blessed, fulfilled, and quietly serving the Lord in their respective churches. They are not loud, ostentatious, or greedy.
4. Legacy
Apostle Babalola’s anointing impacted generations. More than 66 years after his passing, his legacy continues to inspire and bless countless lives and ministries. That is true impact.
Let me pose a question to you:
When Peter said in Acts 3:6, “Silver and gold I do not have…” — was he still anointed or not?
I leave that for you to ponder.
5. Conclusion
The measure of a believer’s anointing is not in material accumulation, but in sacrificial service.
“For the Kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” — Romans 14:17.
Jesus taught:
“Whoever desires to be great among you, let him be your servant… just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve.” — Matthew 20:25–28.
Once again,
“Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses.” — Luke 12:15.
May God give us all the grace to rightly divide the Word of Truth, and to walk in humility, reverence, and godly wisdom.
Pastor Ade ALAWODE (Director of Publicity, Christ Apostolic Church)
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