The Nigerian National Petroleum Company’s upstream subsidiary, NNPC Exploration and Production Limited, has achieved a significant milestone, recording its highest daily crude oil production in over three decades. On December 1, 2025, the company produced 355,000 barrels per day, surpassing its previous record set in 1989. This accomplishment marks a substantial increase in the company’s average daily output, which has risen by 52% in two years, from 203,000 barrels per day in 2023 to 312,000 barrels per day in 2025.
According to a statement issued by NNPC Limited’s Chief Corporate Communications Officer, Andy Odeh, the company’s improved performance can be attributed to strengthened operational systems, disciplined asset management, and structured field development. The Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPC Limited, Bayo Ojulari, described the achievement as evidence that Nigeria’s energy revival is underway, stating that the essential building blocks needed to scale national output are being established.
The milestone is significant, as it signals renewed momentum in Nigeria’s upstream recovery efforts and boosts investor confidence in the country’s oil industry. Nigeria’s crude oil sector has faced numerous challenges in recent years, including pipeline vandalism, crude theft, and underinvestment, which have resulted in output frequently dropping below OPEC quotas. However, reforms under the Petroleum Industry Act and the unbundling of NNPC into a commercial entity have aimed to reverse the decline.
The company’s approach to sustainable and responsible operations has ensured that higher output does not compromise worker safety, environmental protection, or community relations. The Executive Vice President, Upstream, Udy Ntia, noted that the milestone represents more than just a production figure, as it demonstrates the company’s commitment to responsible and sustainable operations.
The achievement is also seen as a step towards stabilizing national output and rebuilding investor confidence in Nigeria’s oil industry. President Bola Tinubu’s administration has set ambitious production targets of two million barrels per day by 2027 and three million barrels per day by 2030, which industry players previously considered optimistic. NNPC E&P Limited’s recent performance suggests that these targets may be more achievable than initially thought, and the company is poised to play a key role in driving the country’s oil industry revival.
