In the beginning

Petroleum matters were handled by the Hydrocarbon Section of the Ministry of Lagos Affairs, which reported directly to the Governor-General. .

The Unit kept records on matters relating to exploration, and importation of petroleum products. It also enforced safety and other regulations on matters which were then mostly products importation and distribution. As the activities of the petroleum industry expanded, the Unit was upgraded to a Petroleum Division within the Ministry of Mines and Power.

  • 1971

    A new body – The Nigerian National Oil Corporation (NNOC) - was created to handle direct commercial operational activities in the oil industry on behalf of the Federal Government, while the Department of Petroleum Resources in the Federal Ministry of Mines and Power continued to exercise statutory supervision and control of the industry.

  • 1975

    The Department was upgraded to a Ministry and named the Ministry of Petroleum and Energy which was later renamed the Ministry of Petroleum Resources.

  • Decree 33 of 1977

    Merged the Ministry of Petroleum Resources and the Nigerian National Oil Corporation (NNOC) to form the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), in order to conserve the then scarce manpower in the oil industry. This decree also created the Petroleum Inspectorate as an integral part of the NNPC, and entrusted it with the regulation of the petroleum industry.

  • In 1985

    The Ministry of Petroleum Resources was re-established, but the Petroleum Inspectorate remained within the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation until March, 1988 when the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation was re-organised. By this re-organisation, the Petroleum Inspectorate was excised from the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, and transferred to the Ministry of Petroleum Resources as the Technical arm and renamed the DPR.

  • In 2021

    The Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) signed by President Muhammadu Buhari in 2021