The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited says Nigeria’s crude production has climbed to 1.71 million barrels per day, the strongest level in five years, as it marked one year of operational review under Group Chief Executive Officer Bayo Ojulari.

Details shared through the GCEO’s official X account outlined performance milestones recorded between April 2025 and April 2026 across upstream, gas, refining, and corporate governance segments.

According to the company, its upstream arm, NNPC Exploration and Production Limited, hit a record 365,000 barrels per day in December 2025. It also confirmed the execution of a revised Production Sharing Contract template for oil blocks PPL 2000 and 2001, designed to accelerate development of deepwater non-associated gas.

The firm said progress was made in resolving the long-running issues around the former OPL 245 field, now restructured into fresh PSC arrangements covering PMLS 102 and 103 as well as PPLs 2011 and 2012.

In gas infrastructure, NNPC highlighted completion of the River Niger crossing on the Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano Pipeline in mid-2025 and the welding of the entire pipeline stretch. It also announced the start-up of the Assa North-Ohaji South Gas Plant and its integration into the Obiafu-Obrikom-Oben Pipeline network to strengthen domestic supply.

Gas deliveries rose to 7.5 billion standard cubic feet per day in 2025, backed by supply agreements involving industrial users, including the Dangote Refinery, Dangote Cement, and Dangote Fertiliser. A Gas Master Plan launched in January 2026 and optimisation work on the Soku pipeline were also cited as key steps.

On refining and downstream strategy, the company said it introduced an Incorporated Joint Venture framework to reposition state refineries as commercially sustainable ventures. It confirmed consolidating its 7.25 per cent stake in the Dangote Refinery and sustaining crude supply to the plant under the “crude-for-naira” arrangement aimed at easing foreign exchange demand.

NNPC added that it expanded its global shipping partnerships with Stena Bulk and Sonangol, introduced a new crude grade known as Cawthorne, and pushed its Oleum lubricant brand into other West African markets.

Project development updates included presidential backing for incentives to unlock a Final Investment Decision on the Bonga South West Aparo project under OML 118, and a tripartite agreement with China Gas Holdings Limited and Peiyang Chemical Singapore PTE Ltd to advance gas commercialisation.

In governance and finance, NNPC disclosed that it resumed consistent monthly remittances to the Federation Account from July 2025, reinstated routine performance reporting, and hosted its first earnings call in November 2025 as part of transparency measures.

The company also reported onboarding 1,000 new staff members and rolling out internal reforms under a “Fit4Future” programme, alongside a Women in NNPC initiative to promote inclusion.

Ojulari said the results reflect a deliberate shift toward accountability and measurable performance since the company’s transition into a fully commercial entity under the Petroleum Industry Act. He maintained that the progress demonstrates a broader effort to rebuild confidence in the national oil company following years of scrutiny over oil theft, falling output, and delayed remittances.

Appointed in April 2025 after a leadership overhaul that saw the exit of former GCEO Mele Kyari, Ojulari previously held senior roles at Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company and Renaissance Africa Energy before taking the helm at NNPC.