The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) has introduced revised guidelines for its advanced cargo declaration regime, aiming to strengthen transparency, accountability, and efficiency in the country’s crude oil and petroleum product exports.
The update, approved by NUPRC Chief Executive Gbenga Komolafe, was outlined in a statement released on Wednesday. It is established under the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Advance Cargo Declaration Regulation 2024.
Objectives
According to the Commission, the new framework enhances the declaration, validation, and tracking of crude oil, natural gas, natural gas liquids, and petroleum products exported from all terminals and export points across Nigeria. It also helps monitor internal crude movement, curbing theft, under-declaration, and revenue leakages.
Mr. Komolafe explained that under the new regime, exporters are required to obtain an export permit, vessel clearance, and a Unique Identification Number (UIN) via NUPRC’s online portal before any shipment occurs. The Commission will verify exporter identities and volumes before granting clearance, which will be tagged with a UIN for end-to-end tracking.
“All key export documents including the Bill of Lading, Certificate of Origin, and cargo manifest must now reference the UIN to ensure traceability and compliance,” Komolafe said.
The guidelines also introduce a real-time, technology-driven cargo declaration portal that integrates with other national export systems. It enables immediate tracking of exports, mandatory documentation uploads within 24 hours of cargo loading, and enhanced data transparency across the export chain.
The Commission has been empowered to reject any vessel clearance requests found to be incomplete, inaccurate, or falsified. Offenders may be subject to administrative penalties and sanctions, reinforcing NUPRC’s commitment to regulatory enforcement under the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021. Komolafe said the new system is part of wider reforms to modernise Nigeria’s oil and gas sector, aiming to plug leakages, optimise revenues, and restore integrity in export operations.
“The implementation of this system marks a significant milestone in tackling longstanding challenges of opacity, under-reporting, and inefficiencies in Nigeria’s upstream petroleum sector,” he added.