NUPRC Targets 2.5 Million Barrels Per Day Oil Output by 2026, Accelerates Reactivation of Dormant Fields

The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) has declared that the country is firmly setting its sights on a crude oil production output of 2.5 million barrels per day (bpd) by 2026, a crucial step in the bold reform agenda to reposition Nigeria’s critical oil and gas industry.

The Commission Chief Executive (CCE), Engr. Gbenga Komolafe, announced the ambitious target today, Thursday, November 13, 2025, at the 2025 Energy Correspondents Association of Nigeria Conference in Abuja. The 2.5 million bpd goal is the ultimate objective of the NUPRC’s flagship “Project One Million Barrels Initiative,” which was launched in 2024.

Komolafe revealed that the aggressive measures put in place have already demonstrated significant momentum. He stated that through deliberate regulatory interventions and strategic collaboration with industry operators, Nigeria’s current unreconciled daily output averages between 1.7 and 1.83 million bpd, a marked improvement from previous lows.

Strategic Pillars for Production Growth

The CCE outlined several key strategies driving the production surge, which aim to address the long-standing issues of pipeline vandalism and investor uncertainty. He highlighted that the NUPRC has:

• Reactivated dormant fields and utilized enhanced recovery techniques.
• Fast-tracked regulatory approvals, referencing Presidential Executive Orders under the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) that have successfully cut contracting cycles.
• Approved 37 new evacuation routes and strengthened collaboration with security agencies, leading to a marked decline in oil theft and pipeline vandalism across the Niger Delta.

Komolafe stressed that the reforms under the PIA 2021 have been instrumental in establishing transparency, fiscal stability, and global competitiveness. He maintained that achieving the 2.5 million bpd target is essential for strengthening Nigeria’s foreign exchange earnings and government revenue, which remain heavily dependent on the upstream sector. The NUPRC is determined to turn the nation’s vast hydrocarbon resources into lasting prosperity, aligning its operational standards with global sustainability goals through its Upstream Decarbonisation Framework.