NUPRC: Nigeria’s Oil Production Climbed to 1.84mbpd in ‘Recent Days’

Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja 

The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) has said Nigeria’s crude oil production rose to 1.84 million barrels per day (bpd) in ‘recent days’, as operational challenges caused by inactivity in some strategic oil facilities, as well as turnaround maintenance on some assets, have eased.

The Commission Chief Executive (CCE) Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan, disclosed this during a visit to the Federal Ministry of Finance in Abuja, where she expressed confidence that the upward trajectory would be sustained, a statement in Abuja by the NUPRC stated yesterday.

Eyesan attributed the earlier dip in production recorded in February to disruptions on key oil facilities and scheduled turnaround maintenance, noting that those issues have now been resolved.

“We are doing 1.84 million barrels per day. That is a remarkable feat, but I am sure we will do more,” she assured the minister, explaining that “All (the issues) have been fixed and we are seeing production ramping up.”

Regarding the 2025 licensing round, Eyesan said the commission was now in the technical and financial stage.

She expressed optimism over the growth of the petroleum sector in the near future, especially because of provisions like the “drill or drop” in the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA), which empowers the commission to revoke leases of dormant acreages.

The NUPRC chief revealed that some of the acreages that were put on offer could see production as soon as a year, adding that indigenous companies were showing an impressive capacity.

Eyesan also noted that the commission had fully complied with the Executive Order 9 of 2026, which directed the immediate suspension of the 30 per cent Frontier Exploration Fund (FEF) deduction from profit oil and gas, alongside other management fees and the direct remittance of the same to the Federation Account.

Responding, the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun,  described the rise in oil output as a positive development and in line with the federal government’s objectives.

“It is heartening that you can tell us that you are doing 1.84 million barrels per day. That is fantastic news. That is totally in line with the mandate of President Bola Tinubu,” he said.

Edun urged the commission to sustain the momentum, stressing that consistency in output is critical to Nigeria’s fiscal stability.

“Clearly, you have started on a very good note. Please keep it up. What matters is not just reaching certain heights but sustaining it. We don’t want any stopping along the way. The trajectory should be maintained and of course the magic figure is 2 million barrels per day,” he stated.

The minister also described the ongoing crisis in the Middle East as unfortunate, but noted that the directive to ramp up production had been issued before the conflict, underscoring the government’s proactive push to boost oil output.