|By Adejumo Adekunle
The West African Centre for Oil Governance (WACOG) has called on member states of the African Regulatory Forum (AFRIPERF) to fully support Nigeria’s new leadership, declaring that a unified regulatory front will strengthen investor confidence and boost the continent’s energy security.
This follows the emergence of the Chief Executive of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), Engr. Gbenga Komolafe, as chairman of AFRIPERF, the official body of petroleum regulators across Africa. Nigeria was also adopted as the Forum’s permanent headquarters at the executive committee meeting earlier in the week.
In a statement signed by its Executive Director, Dr. Mensah Kofi Adjei, WACOG described Komolafe’s election as a strategic win for Africa’s energy governance, noting that it signals a turning point for regional integration and regulatory harmonization.
WACOG said Komolafe’s appointment affirms Nigeria’s long-standing influence as the continent’s top oil producer and its renewed commitment to transparent and modern regulatory standards. It added that Africa must now confront rapidly shifting global energy demands, technological changes and the urgency of translating hydrocarbon resources into sustainable development.
“We are confident that Engr. Komolafe will bring clarity, structure, and foresight to position African regulators as united, capable, and strategically aligned in this new era,” the statement read.
Dr. Adjei further noted that AFRIPERF under Nigeria’s watch is expected to champion reforms that will ensure African petroleum regulators speak with one voice on energy transition financing, emissions standards, cross-border infrastructure, investment safety, and the future of African crude in global markets.
He stressed that Nigeria’s regulatory experience and institutional memory place it in a strong position to guide the continent toward shared policy standards, data-driven decision-making and strengthened local content frameworks.
WACOG also urged AFRIPERF to prioritise capacity building, warning that structural gaps in many countries continue to weaken upstream regulatory oversight. It insisted that Komolafe’s tenure must usher in an era of coordinated continental action rather than isolated national responses.
