Artificial Intelligence and Petroleum Regulatory Governance in Nigeria: Legal Readiness and Theoretical Implications

This study examines the legal readiness of Nigeria's petroleum regulatory governance framework to accommodate artificial intelligence (AI) technologies in regulatory decision-making, inspection automation, and compliance monitoring, developing an original theoretical framework for AI-augmented petroleum regulation. The global adoption of AI in resource sector regulation is accelerating, yet the legal implications for accountability, due process, and regulatory legitimacy in petroleum governance have not been theorised for developing country contexts. The research employs a prospective legal doctrinal and theoretical methodology, analysing existing NUPRC and NMDPRA regulatory frameworks for compatibility with AI decision support tools and examining the constitutional dimensions of algorithmic administrative decisions. Comparative analysis draws on AI governance frameworks from the European Union's AI Act, Australia's AI Ethics Framework, and emerging AI regulatory practice in the petroleum sectors of the United States and Norway. Original empirical data are generated through interviews with fifteen technology officers in Nigerian petroleum regulatory agencies and twenty petroleum data scientists. The study develops an original Petroleum AI Governance Framework for Nigeria, covering accountability, explainability, human oversight, and judicial review rights for AI-assisted regulatory decisions. Keywords: artificial intelligence, petroleum regulation, legal readiness, AI governance, Nigeria.