Nigeria’s oil drilling rig count has soared from eight in 2021 to 69 rigs as of October 2, 2025, the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) said on Monday. That’s a rise of more than 760 percent. It reflects renewed investor confidence and growing stability in Nigeria’s oil and gas sector.
Eniola Akinkuotu, NUPRC Head of Media and Strategic Communication, said: “The number is expected to increase even further in the coming months. This shows a renewed investor confidence in Nigeria.” He added that President Bola Tinubu’s administration has created “the right investment climate” for upstream oil activity.
The report also highlighted several reforms. Under the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) of 2021, a “Drill or Drop” policy has identified 400 dormant oil fields for speedy action. NUPRC said 19 out of 24 new regulations have been gazetted to boost transparency and benchmark best practices.
Other achievements include host community development: local projects such as schools and health centres are underway in over 536 locations. Meanwhile, crude oil theft, once averaging about 102,900 barrels per day in 2021, has dropped to approximately 9,600 barrels per day by September 2025.
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