Nigeria has maintained crude oil production above its Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) quota for the second month in a row, according to the group’s July market report.

Figures show the country pumped an average of 1.507 million barrels per day (bpd) in July—about 7,000 bpd higher than the limit set by OPEC. This also represents a slight increase from June’s 1.505 million bpd output.

The achievement marks the third time this year that Nigeria has met or surpassed its OPEC allocation, after similar performances in January and June. The January output of 1.54 million bpd remains the highest recorded so far in 2025.

Nigeria’s production has fluctuated over the year, dropping to 1.46 million bpd in February, falling further to 1.40 million bpd in March, then rebounding in April before slipping again in May.

Industry officials credit recent gains to the government’s ongoing “Project One Million Barrels Initiative,” launched in 2024 to boost production. Measures such as reviving idle oil fields, fast-tracking regulatory approvals, and improving operational efficiency have been rolled out to lift output.

Gbenga Komolafe, Chief Executive of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, said the strategy had already pushed combined crude and condensate volumes from around 1.4 million bpd last year to between 1.7 and 1.83 million bpd this year.

He added that the administration is working toward raising output to 2 million bpd in the short term, with a longer-term goal of reaching 2.5 million bpd by 2026.

The sustained rise in production is being closely watched by both local and international markets, as Nigeria looks to stabilise its oil sector and strengthen revenue inflows.