Nigeria’s crude oil output reached a five‑year high of 1.71 million barrels per day (bpd) between April 2025 and April 2026, according to the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation’s (NNPC) One‑Year Mandate Report Summary posted on X by Group Chief Executive Officer Bayo Ojulari. The upstream subsidiary, NNPC Exploration and Production Limited, also recorded a record peak of 565,000 bpd in December 2025.
The report highlights notable progress in gas development. NNPC completed the River Niger crossing of the Ajaokuta‑Kaduna‑Kano pipeline and finished welding the line in July 2025. The Assa North‑Ohaji South gas processing plant and the Obiafu‑Obrikom‑Oben pipeline connection have been commissioned, sustaining gas supply at 7.5 billion standard cubic feet per day in 2025. New supply agreements were signed with Dangote Cement, Dangote Refinery and CNG Ibese. In January 2026, NNPC launched its Gas Master Plan and entered a tripartite memorandum of understanding with China Gas Holding Ltd and Peiyang Chemical Singapore to further unlock Nigeria’s gas resources.
In the refining sector, NNPC consolidated a 7.25 percent equity stake in the Dangote refinery to protect national interests and adopted an incorporated joint‑venture model for its refineries, allowing each facility to self‑finance and operate independently. The corporation also secured presidential approval for incentives to advance the final investment decision on the Bonga South‑West Aparo project and executed a model production‑sharing contract for PPL 2000 and 2001, marking the first comprehensive terms for deep‑water non‑associated gas development.
Exports were expanded through shipping partnerships with Stena Bulk and Sonangol, the introduction of a new crude grade named “Cawthorne,” and the extension of the Oleum lubricant brand across West Africa.
Internal reforms included the recruitment of 1,000 new staff, the rollout of a performance‑management system, and the launch of a “Women in NNPC” programme to promote inclusion. The company reinstated monthly performance reporting, held its first earnings call in November 2025, and resumed regular remittances to the federation account from July 2025 onward.
A long‑standing dispute over OPL 245 was resolved, converting the block into a new production‑sharing contract covering PMLs 102 and 103 and PPLs 2011 and 2012.
These developments underscore NNPC’s strategic focus on increasing hydrocarbon production, enhancing gas supply, and strengthening downstream operations, positioning Nigeria to better meet domestic energy demand and expand its presence in international markets.
