The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) says the country’s daily crude oil output has increased to 1.84 million barrels per day (bpd).
Nigeria’s production had earlier fell to 1.31 million bpd in February, according to data from the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).
Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan, chief executive officer of NUPRC, disclosed the development on Thursday during a visit to the ministry of finance headquarters in Abuja.
“We are doing 1.84 million barrels per day. That is a remarkable feat but I am sure we will do more,” she said.
Eyesan attributed the earlier decline in production to operational setbacks at key facilities and ongoing maintenance activities.
“But all that has been fixed and we are seeing production ramping up,” she added.
The increase comes amid a period when oil price is skyrocketing, with Brent crude rising significantly from $60.75 to $109.03 per barrel year-to-date.
On the 2025 licensing round, the NUPRC boss said the process has advanced to the technical and financial stages.
She expressed optimism about the sector’s growth, citing provisions such as the “drill or drop” policy in the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA), which allows the revocation of unused oil blocks.
Eyesan noted that some of the offered acreages could begin production within a year, highlighting the growing capacity of indigenous operators.
She also confirmed that the commission has complied with Executive Order 9 of 2026, which suspends the 30 percent frontier exploration fund deduction and mandates direct remittance of such funds into the federation account.