At the just-concluded Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Annual General Conference 2025 in Enugu, a breakout session on the theme “Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021: Impact, Challenges, and Opportunities for Lawyers”, held on Tuesday, 26th August 2025, drew a packed audience of lawyers, industry stakeholders, and policy experts.
The session, which ran from 3:00 pm to 4:30 pm, provided a critical appraisal of the PIA, four years after its enactment. Discussions centered on the law’s achievements, the hurdles that continue to challenge its implementation, and the vast opportunities available for lawyers within Nigeria’s oil and gas sector.
Panelists and Lead Speakers
- Ama Etuwewe, SAN – Lead Speaker
- Ezeugo Kingston Chikwendu – Lead Speaker
- Ogbugo Ukoha – Panelist
- Emma Ndiyo – Panelist
- Olawumi Nwano – Panelist
The session was moderated by Prof. Yinka Omorogbe, SAN, with Dr Faith Amarachi Okpara serving as coordinator.
In his paper, Ama Etuwewe, SAN, traced the long-awaited passage of the PIA, noting its role in consolidating fragmented petroleum laws, creating new regulatory agencies, restructuring the NNPC, and boosting investor confidence. However, he stressed that implementation challenges and regulatory overlaps must be addressed to maximize the law’s potential.
Other panelists weighed in on host community provisions, fiscal reforms, and how lawyers can leverage the emerging frameworks to expand their practice in energy law, regulatory compliance, contract renegotiations, and environmental protection.
The session concluded with a consensus that the PIA, though groundbreaking, remains a work in progress, requiring continuous legal input, advocacy, and stakeholder engagement.
👉 Click the link below to read the full paper and detailed analysis of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021 by Ama Etuwewe, SAN.
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