Evaluating Presidential Executive Orders on Oil and Gas Investment in Nigeria Amid Energy Infrastructural Deficits

Nigeria holds Africa's largest proven natural gas reserves and the second-largest crude oil reserves, yet it has never managed to secure stable domestic energy supply. This paradox forms the core dilemma of the country's oil and gas sector governance. Starting in 2021, presidential executive orders gradually became a commonly used governance tool in the country's oil and gas sector. Against the backdrop of a long-standing gap in energy infrastructure, this study assesses the scope, content, and implementation effects of these executive orders. This study adopts a qualitative doctrinal analysis method, drawing on regulatory governance theory and the resource curse thesis. It takes all executive orders issued in the oil and gas sector between 2021 and 2024 as its research sample, including the three executive orders signed in February 2024, and the directive released the same year to directly transfer oil and gas revenues into the federal account. Findings revealed that a persistent gap exists between the issuance and implementation of executive orders, driven by insufficient institutional capacity, fragmented regulation, aging infrastructure, and entrenched rent-seeking practices. The fiscal incentives and transparency requirements outlined in existing executive orders have failed to resolve three core problems: the upstream production crisis, the collapse of domestic refining capacity, and the gap in gas-to-power supply. This study argues that unilateral executive orders cannot replace structural legislative reform and sustained capital investment. Follow-up research will provide targeted recommendations for the four key stakeholders: the Office of the President, NUPRC, NNPCL, and the National Assembly.