Nigeria’s total daily average production of crude oil and condensate rose to 1,717,030 barrels per day (bpd) in September 2026, marking a 2.34 per cent increase from August levels, as the country consolidated its standing as Africa’s top oil producer.
Data released by the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) shows that single-day production hit a high of 1.84 million barrels during the month, while the lowest daily volume recorded was 1.68 million barrels.
Excluding condensates, Nigeria’s strict crude oil production averaged 1.53 million barrels per day (mbpd) in September. This performance represents 102 per cent of its 1.5 mbpd target set by the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).
With this output, Nigeria has now met or exceeded its assigned OPEC quota for five consecutive months. Data from the regulator shows crude production reached 1.53 mbpd in May; 1.55 mbpd in June; 1.51 mbpd in July; 1.50 mbpd in August; and 1.53 mbpd in September.
According to industry figures, the sustained production momentum was primarily anchored on operational stability across major producing assets, supported by the absence of critical pipeline outages during the review period.
Enhanced uptime and crude evacuation efficiency across key export channels enabled upstream operators to maintain reliable production flows.
‘The improved performance was primarily driven by stable production operations across most producing assets and the absence of any major pipeline outages during the period under review. This enhanced operational stability supported improved production uptime and crude evacuation efficiency.
‘The sustained growth recorded in September reflects the continued commitment of operators and industry stakeholders towards improving operational efficiency, maintaining asset integrity, and enhancing production reliability across the Nigerian upstream petroleum sector,’ the commission stated.
A detailed analysis of daily average crude and condensate output across key export terminals shows that the Forcados Terminal led production volumes, accounting for 320,320 barrels per day (kbpd) during the review month.
The Bonny Terminal followed closely as the second-largest stream, delivering a daily average of 303,270 barrels.
Heineken Lokpobiri, Nigeria’s Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (oil), who had earlier commented on the increased production, attributed the growth to ongoing policy reforms and renewed investor confidence in the nation’s energy sector.
He recalled that when the Tinubu- led administration came on board in 2023, the country barely produced a million barrels, inclusive of condensates. Lokpobiri attributed the poor production to operational bottlenecks in the upstream sector, which he said were driven by the Commission.
‘For anything to be done in the upstream, NUPRC has to approve it. And there were delays, bottlenecks, and so what we did was to engage NUPRC.
‘And I told the then leadership that you’re not going to be judged by the number of bottlenecks you impose but by the number of barrels that you enable. You’re also going to be judged only by the number of businesses you enable, not by the number of regulations that you introduce, which also constitutes another disincentive to investment.
‘And collaboratively, we came together, found solutions and things changed for the better. Today we’re doing, as of yesterday when you sent the report to me, we’re doing 1.821 million barrels a day. That is over 80 percent of success,’ he said in an earlier engagement.
Lokpobiri also attributed the production increase to the ‘unprecedented’ level of drilling campaign going on in the industry, which he said has led to over 70 active rigs. He added that the drilling campaign is critical if Nigeria must achieve its 3 million barrels target.
‘Our ambition to do 3 million barrels will be a mirage unless we have a sustainable and increasing campaign in this industry.
‘NUPRC has done well in five years. Please continue on this trajectory of rendering excellent services that will guarantee sustainable growth in this industry. Do the best you are doing to ensure that we are not sent back to Egypt,’ he added.
Lokpobiri further emphasised that Nigeria’s geographical advantage in the Gulf of Guinea has insulated it from geopolitical disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, making it a prime destination for diverted global capital.
He emphasised that to capitalise on this opportunity and attract dollar investments, Nigeria must guarantee a predictable operating environment, a globally competitive regulatory framework, and superior fiscal terms relative to other investment climates.