NNPC: Reforms Add 600,000bpd to Nigeria’s Oil Output – Ojulari
…Targets 2 million bpd by 2027, 12bcf/d gas production by 2030
The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Ltd. (NNPC Ltd.) says reforms in the oil and gas sector have increased Nigeria’s crude oil production by 600,000 barrels per day, from about 1.2 million bpd to 1.8 million bpd.
The Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO) of NNPC Ltd., Mr Bashir Bayo Ojulari, disclosed this on Tuesday at the 2026 Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition and Conference (ADIPEC) in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
Ojulari spoke during an Energy Talk titled, “Nigeria’s Reform Agenda: Competing for Energy Capital”, moderated by John Defterios, Chairman, MENA, APCO.
He attributed the production growth to the implementation of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021, improved investment climate, better investment decisions and stronger collaboration between NNPC Ltd. and its partners.
He said the company was targeting crude oil production of two million barrels per day by 2027 through infrastructure maintenance, protection of existing production, improved output from producing assets and execution of new projects.
“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 domestic energy supply, Ojulari said the removal of petrol subsidy had been complemented by a major Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) programme.
He disclosed that more than 400 CNG conversion centres had been established, while over 1,000 trucks used for transporting petroleum products had been converted to run on CNG.
He also said the Obiafu-Obrikom-Oben (OB3) gas pipeline was completed in August 2026, while the Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano (AKK) pipeline was expected to deliver gas to Abuja before the end of the year.
According to him, the gas infrastructure will support power generation, data centres and industrial hubs.
Ojulari said the NNPC board and management were committed to meeting the company’s projections in line with the mandate given by President Bola Tinubu.
He added that a baseline assessment 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 said.
On regional gas development, Ojulari said countries involved in the Nigeria-Morocco Gas Pipeline project had aligned and signed the necessary agreements.
He also said Nigeria, Algeria and Niger had aligned on the development of the Trans-Saharan Gas Pipeline.
The GCEO said NNPC Ltd. was targeting national gas production of 10 billion standard cubic feet per day (bcf/d) by 2027 and 12 bcf/d by 2030.
He said the targets would be supported by the development of domestic and export markets for Nigerian gas.
On investment, Ojulari cited major projects, including TotalEnergies’ Ubeta, Shell’s Bonga South-West and Eni’s Zabazaba developments.
He said commercial agreements covering investments worth about 20 billion dollars had been concluded.
He added that NNPC Ltd. was building new partnerships with organisations, including the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) and Chinese investors in Nigeria’s refineries.
According to him, the company is also collaborating with global oilfield service companies to expand service capacity in Nigeria.
Ojulari reaffirmed NNPC Ltd.’s commitment to transparency and execution excellence, citing two consecutive earnings calls organised by the company.
The 2026 ADIPEC, held under the patronage of UAE President, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and hosted by ADNOC, attracted more than 239,000 participants from over 170 countries.
The conference brought together ministers, chief executives, investors and technology leaders to discuss energy security, investment and global supply.
