The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) has set an ambitious target to increase crude oil production to two million barrels per day by the end of the year. This announcement comes as the country’s daily production rose from 1.27 million barrels in June to 1.6 million in July, according to the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission.
During a meeting with maritime stakeholders at the Nigerian Navy Headquarters on Tuesday, NNPC’s Group Managing Director, Mele Kyari, expressed confidence in achieving this target. Represented by the Managing Director of Pipeline NNPC, Folorunsho Karim, Kyari emphasized the company’s full commitment to reaching the goal.
“The target is to increase production to two million barrels by the end of the year, and we are fully committed to doing that. I appreciate the support of the Nigerian Navy in making this possible,” Kyari stated. He praised the Navy’s significant efforts in reducing oil theft and pipeline vandalism, which have been crucial in increasing production levels.
Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla, Chief of the Naval Staff, highlighted the security challenges Nigeria has faced, including violent agitations, oil theft, pipeline vandalism, and piracy. He pointed out that these issues are exacerbated by the proliferation of small arms, communal clashes, poverty, and unemployment.
“The traditional methods of addressing these security challenges have not yielded the desired results. Hence, the meeting also aimed to address emerging security issues arising from the implementation of the Petroleum Industry Act,” Ogalla noted. He emphasized the Navy’s role in supporting the nation’s blue economy and ensuring that their operations facilitate, rather than hinder, business activities.
Ogalla assured that the Navy is working to promote ease of doing business by providing security and ensuring that their actions do not disrupt legitimate operations. “We aim to promote ease of doing business by ensuring our operations and patrols do not create problems for operators. Instead, we support them by assuring them of protection from criminal elements who seek to disrupt business activities in Nigeria,” he added.
The collaboration between NNPC and the Nigerian Navy is seen as a pivotal step towards achieving the ambitious production targets and ensuring a secure and conducive environment for oil production and other maritime activities.
