Records Management Challenges in the Petroleum Industry Regulatory Authority: A Managerial Appraisal

This study appraises records management challenges in the Petroleum Industry Regulatory Authority (PIRA), established under the Petroleum Industry Act 2021, focusing on the managerial dimensions of records governance in Nigeria's newly restructured upstream and downstream regulatory environment. The creation of PIRA introduced new records management obligations, institutional complexities, and documentation workflows that require professional evaluation and improvement. The research employs a professional case study design, targeting records managers, compliance officers, and directorate administrators within PIRA's Lagos and Abuja offices. Structured questionnaires, records audit checklists, and semi-structured interviews with senior managers serve as data collection instruments. The ISO 15489 Records Management Standard and the Petroleum Industry Act's administrative provisions provide the professional framework, with literature from 2021 to 2024 on regulatory records management in the Nigerian petroleum sector. Specific challenges investigated include records classification difficulties, dual-office coordination gaps, and the integration of legacy records from predecessor agencies. Recommendations target PIRA's director-general and the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources. Keywords: records management, petroleum regulation, PIRA, Petroleum Industry Act, regulatory administration