Odeh said the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021 assigns responsibility for conducting oil licensing rounds and allocating oil blocks to NUPRC. He added that NNPC Ltd. has operated as a commercial entity since its incorporation and does not possess regulatory or allocative powers. The company also defended its production performance under the current leadership. According to NNPC’s Monthly Performance Report, average crude oil production stood at 1.60 million barrels per day (mbpd), including condensate, in April 2025 before rising to 1.67 mbpd in April 2026. The NUPRC has separately emphasised its regulatory role and its collaboration with NNPC.