Nigeria’s National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, revealed on Tuesday that the country’s crude oil production has surged to 1.8 million barrels per day (bpd), marking a significant increase from approximately 900,000 barrels previously, TheCable reports.
Ribadu made this announcement during a Senate hearing where he, alongside top military officials and security heads, discussed the nation’s security challenges. The increase in oil production contrasts with earlier statements from the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Heineken Lokpobiri, who previously estimated the country’s production at around 1 million barrels per day, which later rose to 1.4 million.
The NSA attributed the rise in crude oil production to a combination of “kinetic and non-kinetic operations,” indicating a concerted effort to combat oil theft and criminal activities in the oil-rich Niger Delta region. Ribadu emphasized that stringent measures against these illicit activities, including both military and non-military interventions, have contributed to the nearly doubling of production.
“This nearly doubling of production results from stringent measures against oil theft and criminality, combining non-military intervention and active kinetic measures,” Ribadu stated during the hearing.
Furthermore, Ribadu briefed the Senate on various security operations conducted across the country. He highlighted successful efforts by security agencies, which have allowed farmers in Zamfara, Kaduna, and Niger states to return to their farmlands after facing threats from armed groups. Additionally, Ribadu noted a significant reduction in the activities of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
