Nigeria’s oil output tops OPEC quota as pipeline security measures boost production

Nigeria’s crude output rose 2.2% in May, reaching about 1.70 million barrels per day and surpassing the OPEC quota of 1.5 million bpd for the first time in 2026. The increase was attributed to the work of Pipeline Infrastructure Nigeria Ltd (PINL) in maintaining operational stability on the Trans Niger Pipeline (TNP) and to heightened cooperation among government agencies, security forces under Operation DELTA SAFE, and host communities in Rivers, Imo, Abia and Bayelsa states.

Stakeholder meetings in Port Harcourt and Yenagoa highlighted the role of community vigilance in preventing vandalism and oil theft. PINL’s General Manager for Community and Stakeholder Relations, Dr Akpos Mezeh, and NNPCL’s field operations head, Engr. Akponime Omojewvhe, urged residents to report any suspicious activity, noting that Bayelsa had recorded no pipeline infractions in the past six months but stressing the need to maintain that record after a recent attack on the pipeline in Odau, Rivers State.

The officials called for continued funding and support for PINL’s community programmes, emphasizing that pipeline security not only safeguards national revenue and energy security but also protects livelihoods and the environment in the Niger Delta corridor.