The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited has attributed Nigeria’s recent increase in crude oil production to improved pipeline security across the Niger Delta.
The company disclosed that national output rose from a low of about 960000 barrels per day in 2022 to an average of 1.71 million barrels per day, with peak production reaching 1.84 million barrels per day in 2025.
Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPCL, Bashir Bayo Ojulari, made the disclosure during a parliamentary roundtable on pipeline security held at the National Assembly in Abuja.
According to the company, the production recovery followed coordinated efforts to secure critical oil infrastructure and reduce disruptions caused by crude theft and pipeline vandalism.
Ojulari explained that the improvement was driven by what he described as an integrated energy security framework. This approach combines policy coordination between government institutions, intelligence gathering, security operations, regulatory oversight, collaboration with industry stakeholders, and surveillance systems embedded within host communities.
He noted that the strengthened security environment has helped curb oil theft and sabotage, factors that had previously constrained output levels.
The NNPCL further stated that the recovery in production has contributed to renewed investor confidence in Nigeria’s oil and gas sector.
At the event, the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, represented by Jimoh Ibrahim, called for sustained collaboration among government agencies and stakeholders to address remaining challenges affecting production growth.
Similarly, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, represented by Julius Ihonvbere, urged participants to assess ongoing efforts to ensure equitable and sustained progress in the sector.
The roundtable, organised by the Joint Senate and House of Representatives Committee on Petroleum Resources, brought together key stakeholders including security agencies such as the military, police, Department of State Services, Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, and private security operators.
The update from NNPCL aligns with recent disclosures by the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, which indicated that oil production reached 1.84 million barrels per day in March.
This marks a recovery from earlier declines, when output dropped to around 1.4 million barrels per day in February due to maintenance activities and operational disruptions.