The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Limited) has said Nigeria’s crude oil production has increased by 600,000 barrels per day, rising from about 1.2 million to 1.8 million barrels daily following reforms in the petroleum industry.
The company’s Group Chief Executive Officer, Bashir Bayo Ojulari, disclosed this on Tuesday at the 2026 Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition and Conference (ADIPEC) in the United Arab Emirates.
Speaking during an Energy Talk session themed, “Nigeria’s Reform Agenda: Competing for Energy Capital,” Ojulari attributed the production increase to the implementation of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021, improved investment conditions, better investment decisions and stronger partnerships between NNPC and industry operators.
He said the company was pursuing a production target of two million barrels per day by 2027, with efforts focused on improving existing facilities, sustaining current output and completing projects expected to increase production.
Ojulari described the current production level as a milestone rather than the final objective, stressing that consistent investment in infrastructure and operational efficiency would be necessary to achieve the next target.
“The figure of 1.8 million barrels per day is a stage in a journey towards our objective. We are concentrating on the basics, which are maintaining our infrastructure, protecting base operations and executing the projects that will take production higher,” he said.
On developments in the domestic energy market, the NNPC chief said the removal of petrol subsidy had been accompanied by an expansion of the compressed natural gas (CNG) programme.
He disclosed that more than 400 CNG conversion centres had been established across the country, while over 1,000 trucks involved in the transportation of petroleum products had switched to CNG.
He also announced that the Obiafu-Obrikom-Oben (OB3) gas pipeline was completed in August 2026, while the Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano (AKK) pipeline was expected to begin supplying gas to Abuja before the end of the year.
According to him, the gas infrastructure would support electricity generation, data centres and industrial hubs.
Ojulari said NNPC’s board and management were working to fulfil the projections contained in the mandate given to the company by President Bola Tinubu.
He explained that a baseline review of the company’s assets and infrastructure had enabled management to identify its strengths and areas requiring improvement.
“Our track record will be judged by what is done and not by what is said,” he added.
On regional energy cooperation, Ojulari disclosed that countries involved in the proposed Nigeria-Morocco Gas Pipeline had reached alignment and executed the necessary agreements.
He also said Nigeria, Algeria and Niger had aligned on plans for the Trans-Saharan Gas Pipeline.
The company is targeting national gas production of 10 billion standard cubic feet per day by 2027 and 12 billion standard cubic feet daily by 2030, with expanded domestic consumption and export markets expected to support the targets.
Addressing investor interest in Nigeria, Ojulari identified TotalEnergies’ Ubeta, Shell’s Bonga South-West and Eni’s Zabazaba projects as major developments attracting international attention.
He said commercial agreements covering investments worth approximately $20bn had been concluded, adding that NNPC was pursuing further partnerships with the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC), Chinese investors in Nigeria’s refineries and international oilfield service companies.
According to him, the partnerships are also expected to strengthen the capacity of service providers operating within Nigeria.
Ojulari reaffirmed NNPC’s commitment to transparency and effective project delivery, pointing to the company’s two consecutive earnings calls as part of its accountability efforts.
The 2026 ADIPEC, hosted by ADNOC under the patronage of UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, brought together more than 239,000 participants from over 170 countries.
The conference attracted ministers, chief executives, investors and technology experts to discuss issues including energy security, investment and global supply.
