Petroleum Contract Administration: Practical Challenges in Managing Joint Venture Agreements in Nigeria

This study investigates the practical challenges faced by petroleum contract administrators in managing joint venture (JV) agreements between NNPC Limited and international oil company partners in Nigeria. Joint venture management is a core professional function in Nigeria's upstream sector, involving cash call coordination, work programme approvals, audit rights, and dispute escalation. Using a professional practitioner survey methodology, the research collects data through questionnaires administered to forty-eight petroleum contract professionals employed by both NNPC subsidiaries and IOC partners, complemented by a review of model JV agreement provisions under the PIA 2021. Respondents are drawn from operational bases in Lagos, Port Harcourt, and Warri. Key findings indicate recurring disputes over cash call obligations, persistent disagreements on approved work programmes, and inadequate training of junior contract staff in JV governance procedures. The study recommends a standardised JV contract administration training curriculum accredited by the Nigerian Council of Legal Education and an industry-wide JV dispute early resolution mechanism. These professional insights are of direct value to petroleum contract administrators, legal counsel, and finance managers in Nigeria's upstream sector. Keywords: joint ventures, contract administration, NNPC Limited, petroleum sector, PIA 2021.