Nigeria’s oil production surpassed 1.8 million barrels per day (bpd) last month, its highest level since November, as improved security in the Niger Delta helped lift output, the head of the country’s upstream regulator said on Monday.
Gbenga Komolafe, chief executive of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), said average production currently stands at 1.78 million bpd.
Africa’s largest oil producer relies on crude for nearly two-thirds of government revenue and more than 80% of its foreign currency earnings, making production gains crucial for stabilising its struggling economy.
Widespread oil theft, unrest, and years of underinvestment have long hampered output and strained public finances. But recent efforts to clamp down on sabotage and illegal bunkering in the oil-rich Niger Delta are showing signs of progress, Komolafe told delegates at an energy conference.
He said the output gains are part of a broader plan to raise production by 1 million bpd to reach 3 million bpd.
Komolafe added that the commission would continue working with industry stakeholders to sustain the recovery and improve transparency across the sector.
