By: OrePulse

Nigeria's state energy company NNPC said the country's crude oil production has risen from 1.2 million barrels per day to 1.8 million barrels per day, an increase NNPC Group CEO Bashir Bayo Ojulari attributed mainly to the implementation of Nigeria's 2021 Petroleum Industry Act.

Ojulari made the comments on November 2 during a session at the ADIPEC 2026 conference in Abu Dhabi, moderated by John Defterios of APCO.

"A lot of executive orders have been introduced to make sure that the PIA is implemented effectively," Ojulari said. He pointed to faster regulatory processes, an increase in investment proposals from operators, and closer collaboration between NNPC and oil and gas companies as factors behind the production gains.

Ojulari also outlined NNPC's plans to expand access to compressed natural gas (CNG) as an alternative transport fuel. He said the company currently operates more than 400 commercial CNG stations and over 1,000 CNG-powered trucks, and is targeting more than 1,000 operational CNG stations nationwide by the end of 2027.

On pipeline infrastructure, Ojulari said the Obiafu-Obrikom-Oben (OB3) gas pipeline was completed in August. He said NNPC expects the African Atlantic Gas (AAG) pipeline to begin delivering gas to the capital, Abuja, before the end of the year, with onward supply to Kaduna and Kano to follow at a later stage.

Turning to regional projects, Ojulari said all participating countries had signed an agreement on the Nigeria-Morocco gas pipeline project, and that Nigeria, Niger, Mali and Algeria had aligned on plans for the Trans-Saharan Gas Pipeline, which is intended to carry Nigerian gas north across the Sahara.

NNPC is targeting growth in natural gas production from a current range of 8 billion to 10 billion cubic feet per day in 2027 to 12 billion cubic feet per day by 2030, Ojulari said.

Ojulari also said NNPC is working toward International Public Company (IPC) status. He told the session that the change would bring structural consolidation and greater operational efficiency to the company, as well as raising its profile internationally.

The comments add detail to NNPC's broader strategy of raising both oil output and gas supply while pursuing a change in its corporate structure, as Nigeria seeks to expand pipeline links to its West African neighbors.