Nigeria’s oil output rises to 1.71m barrels per day as pipeline security improves, says NNPC

Nigeria’s crude oil production has rebounded sharply from a historic low of 960,000 barrels per day in 2022 to an average of 1.71 million barrels per day, with a peak of 1.84 million barrels per day in 2025, according to the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd). The national oil company attributed the recovery to strengthened pipeline security measures across the Niger Delta.

The Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPC Ltd, Engr. Bashir Bayo Ojulari, disclosed this at the Parliamentary Roundtable on the State of Pipeline Security held at the National Assembly in Abuja on Wednesday.

Ojulari said the improved output was the result of deliberate and coordinated efforts rather than chance. He described the approach as an “integrated energy security model that combines legislative and executive policy alignment, actionable intelligence, kinetic deployment capabilities, regulatory oversight, industry cooperation, and community-embedded surveillance mechanisms”.

He noted that the effective tackling of oil theft and widespread pipeline sabotage has driven the resurgence in production and helped restore investor confidence in Nigeria’s oil and gas sector.

In his welcome address, the President of the Senate, Sen. Godswill Akpabio, represented by Senator Jimoh Ibrahim, called for greater collaboration among government agencies and stakeholders to address challenges hindering production growth.

Similarly, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, represented by the Leader of the House, Hon. (Prof.) Julius Ihonvbere, urged participants to assess progress made so far with a focus on fairness and equity.

The Parliamentary Roundtable on the State of Pipeline Security was convened by the Joint Senate and House of Representatives Committee on Petroleum Resources. It brought together key government officials, including the National Security Adviser, Minister of Defence, and representatives of oil industry regulatory bodies.

The event also featured presentations from the Chief of Defence Staff, Inspector General of Police, Director General of the Department of State Services, Commandant General of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, as well as private security companies.