Nigeria is calling on oil companies operating within its borders to work together to increase crude oil production, as the country continues to fall short of its OPEC quota.
Crude output averaged 1.4 million barrels per day (bpd) in the first quarter of 2025, far below the 1.8 million bpd quota set by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), according to Nigeria’s Minister of State for Gas, Ekperikpe Ekpo.
At an industry conference this week, Gbenga Komolafe, chief executive of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), emphasized the need to “optimize existing resources and explore new frontiers” to grow production.
Persistent oil theft and vandalism have long plagued Nigeria’s oil sector, forcing major energy firms to exit and frequently disrupting exports. These issues have contributed to Nigeria’s repeated failure to meet its OPEC+ production targets.
In response, the Nigerian government has stepped up efforts to curb oil theft and support higher production. Earlier this month, NUPRC announced that U.S. oil giant ExxonMobil plans to invest up to $1.5 billion in offshore deepwater oil and gas projects in Nigeria.
The government’s renewed push comes as OPEC+ countries consider a fresh output hike for July. Bloomberg News reported that the group is discussing a possible 411,000 bpd increase—matching the production boosts already agreed for May and June. These monthly hikes are three times larger than OPEC+ had previously planned.
As Africa’s top oil producer, Nigeria is under pressure to raise output and take advantage of the growing production allowances within the OPEC+ framework.
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