By Adedapo Adesanya
Nigeria has set an increased target of 3 million barrels per day by the end of 2025, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Mr Heineken Lokpobiri, has said.
Speaking during the flag-off ceremony of Operation Delta II in Port Harcourt, Mr Lokpobiri commended the Navy’s leadership under Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ikechukwu Ogalla, for its role in curbing crude oil theft and pipeline vandalism.
The oil minister also said Nigeria’s crude oil production has surged to 1.8 million barrels per day from barely 1 million barrels per day earlier this year.
The Minister described the Trans-Niger Pipeline, TNP, as a hotspot for illegal activities.
“When I became minister, we were producing barely a million barrels per day, but today, we are doing 1.8 million barrels. Our target is to achieve at least 3 million barrels by this same time in 2025,” Mr Lokpobiri stated.
He emphasised that increased production would generate more revenue for the federal, state, and local governments, enabling the administration of President Bola Tinubu to fund critical infrastructure.
However, he stressed that achieving this goal requires collaboration from all stakeholders, including traditional rulers, youth groups, civilian security contractors, and other security agencies.
Also speaking, Mr Ogalla expressed optimism about surpassing the 3 million barrels production target, attributing the progress to President Bola Tinubu’s directives and enhanced security measures.
“Last year, we were at 1.4 million barrels per day when we launched this operation. Today, we are at 1.8 million barrels, and with the new assets we are deploying—armed drones, attack helicopters, and improved intelligence sharing—we are confident we will surpass the 3 million barrels target,” he said.
He added that the Navy’s operations, bolstered by advanced technology and inter-agency cooperation, are pivotal to Nigeria’s efforts to curb oil theft and ensure maximum crude output.
Despite being Africa’s largest producer, Nigeria hasn’t been able to top its 2.5 million barrels per day production achieved almost 20 years ago as underinvestment, infrastructure constraints, and oil theft have contributed to low production numbers over the years.