According to secondary sources in the OPEC monthly report, the country's production fell from 1.525 million bpd in December 2024 to 1.495 million bpd in January 2025, reflecting a decline of 1.97 percent.
This trend signifies a concerning outlook for Africa's largest crude oil producer, which had only recently met OPEC's production quota in December 2024 after a four-year period and aims to achieve a target of 2.7 million bpd by 2027.
Previously, Olu Verheijen, special adviser on energy to President Bola Tinubu, indicated that Nigeria aims to increase its daily production of crude and condensate by approximately 60 percent to reach 2.7 million barrels by 2027.
The upstream oil and gas sector in Nigeria has been significantly affected by oil theft and pipeline vandalism, hindering the country's potential economic benefits and its ability to meet domestic obligations.
On Tuesday, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited urged the Kannywood community to leverage their influence in advocating for the protection of national assets, especially those overseen by the state-owned oil company.
NNPC's Chief Corporate Communications Officer, Olufemi Soneye, stated that the deliberate destruction of vital infrastructure, encompassing oil and gas pipelines, power generation facilities, and energy infrastructure, presents a significant risk to Nigeria's economic stability, national security, and progress.
He emphasized the collective responsibility to educate the public on the gravity of such actions, highlighting the influential role of community leaders in disseminating this critical message.
Nigeria's crude oil production increased to 1,539 million barrels per day last month, a rise from 1,485 million barrels per day recorded in December 2024, according to direct communication sources.