Nigeria is nearing its OPEC quota as output hits 1.85 million barrels per day amid improved security and zero vandalism.
- +Nigeria Nears OPEC Quota As Zero Vandalism Boosts Crude Output To 1.85mbpd Peak
Nigeria’s crude oil production reached 99.2 per cent of its 1.5 million barrels per day quota approved by the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) in April 2026, a result operators attribute to a sharp drop in vandalism and stronger collaboration with host communities along the country’s critical pipeline corridors, as Trans Niger Pipeline recording zero infractions over the same period.
Nigeria’s crude oil production reached 99.2 per cent of its 1.5 million barrels per day quota approved by the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) in April 2026, a result operators attribute to a sharp drop in vandalism and stronger collaboration with host communities along the country’s critical pipeline corridors, as Trans Niger Pipeline recording zero infractions over the same period.
Figures released by the Nigeria Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) show output rose 7.58 percent on March, with peak production for the month touching 1.85 million barrels per day and a low of 1.46 million.
The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) separately reported about ₦276 billion in profit after tax for March, citing rising production and improved gas output.
The improvement coincides with what Pipeline Infrastructure Nigeria Limited (PINL), the indigenous operator responsible for surveillance and protection along the Trans Niger Pipeline and the Eastern Gas Network, describes as a period of sustained stability across its corridors.
Speaking at the company’s monthly stakeholders’ meeting in Port Harcourt, on Wednesday, with representatives from Imo, Abia and Rivers states, PINL’s General Manager for Community and Stakeholders Relations, Dr. Akpos Mezeh, said the production gain was the measurable outcome of work done on the ground.
“These figures are not ordinary statistics,” Mezeh said. “They are evidence that stability, cooperation, and the effective protection of pipeline infrastructure produce measurable economic benefits for the nation.”
He credited host communities, surveillance teams, traditional rulers and security agencies for safeguarding the Trans Niger Pipeline and the Eastern Gas Network, and confirmed that no infraction had been recorded on the Trans Niger Pipeline in the past month describing the result as a direct reflection of improved synergy between operators and the communities they work in.
Mezeh said incidents of vandalism had reduced significantly across PINL’s operational areas, while intelligence gathering and stakeholder engagement had continued to strengthen.
He reiterated the company’s commitment to sustaining community engagement and social investment in host communities, and called for continued cooperation among stakeholders to protect the gains recorded in the sector.
The Paramount Ruler of Emohua Kingdom in Rivers State, Eze Sergeant Awuse, welcomed the company’s interventions in his domain. “I am satisfied with what PINL is doing for this country,” he said.
“At our last sitting, you announced scholarships for our youth, and today you have rolled out a women’s empowerment programme. We thank you for protecting the infrastructure that feeds this nation. Your company has made it possible for more oil to flow with far less vandalism.”
The King of Eleme Kingdom, Dr. Philip Obele, said PINL had “restored sanity” to oil operations in his territory, adding that pipeline vandalism had effectively ended within Eleme since the company began surveillance operations there.
Both rulers called for continued partnership between operators, government, and host communities to sustain the gains recorded in the sector.
