Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt
Nigeria’s crude oil production reached 99.2 per cent of the country’s 1.5 million barrels per day quota approved by Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) in April 2026.
Operators attributed the result to a sharp drop in vandalism and stronger collaboration with host communities along the country’s critical pipeline corridors, as Trans Niger Pipeline recorded zero infractions over the period.
Figures released by Nigeria Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) showed that output rose 7.58 per cent in March, with peak production for the month touching 1.85 million barrels per day and a low of 1.46 million.
Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) separately reported about N276 billion in profit after tax for March, citing rising production and improved gas output.
The improvement coincided with what Pipeline Infrastructure Nigeria Limited (PINL), the indigenous operator responsible for surveillance and protection along the Trans Niger Pipeline and the Eastern Gas Network, described as a period of sustained stability across its corridors.
Speaking at the company’s monthly stakeholders’ meeting in Port Harcourt, yesterday, with representatives from Imo, Abia, and Rivers states, PINL’s General Manager for Community and Stakeholders Relations, Dr. Akpos Mezeh, said the production gain was the measurable outcome of work done on the ground.
“These figures are not ordinary statistics,” Mezeh said. “They are evidence that stability, cooperation, and the effective protection of pipeline infrastructure produce measurable economic benefits for the nation,” he added.
He credited host communities, surveillance teams, traditional rulers, and security agencies for safeguarding the Trans Niger Pipeline and the Eastern Gas Network.
Mezeh confirmed that no infraction had been recorded on the Trans Niger Pipeline in the past month, describing the result as a direct reflection of improved synergy between operators and the communities they work in.
Mezeh said incidents of vandalism had reduced significantly across PINL’s operational areas, while intelligence gathering and stakeholder engagement have continued to strengthen.
He reiterated the company’s commitment to sustaining community engagement and social investment in host communities, and called for continued cooperation among stakeholders to protect the gains recorded in the sector.
Paramount Ruler of Emohua Kingdom in Rivers State, Eze Sergeant Awuse, welcomed the company’s interventions in his domain.
“I am satisfied with what PINL is doing for this country,” Awuse said.
He stated, “At our last sitting, you announced scholarships for our youth, and today you have rolled out a women’s empowerment programme.
“We thank you for protecting the infrastructure that feeds this nation. Your company has made it possible for more oil to flow with far less vandalism.”
King of Eleme Kingdom, Dr. Philip Obele, said PINL had “restored sanity” to oil operations in his territory.
Obele said pipeline vandalism had effectively ended within Eleme since the company began surveillance operations there.
Both traditional rulers called for continued partnership between operators, government, and host communities to sustain the gains recorded in the sector.
