The Group Chief Executive Officer of Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC), Engr. Bashir Bayo Ojulari, has stated that national crude oil production has grown from a historic low of 960,000 barrels per day in 2022 to an average of 1.71 million barrels per day and a peak production of 1.84 million barrels per day in 2025, owing to the establishment of the integrated energy security for pipelines in the Niger Delta.
Ojulari, made the disclosure at the Parliamentary Roundtable on the State of Pipelines Security which held at the National Assembly, in Abuja, on Wednesday.
He spoke just as the Members of the National Assembly yesterday passed a unanimous vote of confidence in Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited, endorsing its continued role in pipeline surveillance and protection of critical national assets.
Speaking on the success of the security arrangement, Ojulari explained that it was not accidental, and that it involved an “integrated energy security model that combines legislative and executive policy alignment, actionable intelligence, kinetic deployment capabilities, regulatory oversight, industry cooperation, and community‑embedded surveillance mechanisms”.
In a statement by NNPC’s Chief Corporate Communications Officer, Andy Odeh, Ojualri said the resurgence of production due to the effective tackling of the twin menace of oil theft and pervasive pipeline sabotage has led to the restoration of investors’ confidence in the nation’s oil and gas sector.
In his welcome address, the President of the Senate, Sen. Godswill Akpabio, represented by Senator Jimoh Ibrahim, called for collaboration among agencies and stakeholders in resolving all challenges impeding production growth.
On his part, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, who was represented by the Leader of the House, Hon. (Prof.) Julius Ihonvbere, urged the forum to evaluate the progress made so far with a view to ensuring fairness and equity.
He said, “There are clear success stories, undeniable and compelling. Recent reports indicate that most of the illegal tapping points have been dismantled, production levels have improved significantly and oil receipts are approaching near-total delivery to export terminals, compared to the alarming losses of previous years when production sometimes plummeted to about 700 barrels per day.
“Today, largely due to these surveillance/security efforts, we have been able to ramp up production to about 1.8 million barrels per day”, he said.
According to the speaker, the surveillance contract has been able to create direct employment for thousands of Niger Delta youths who were formerly agitators, providing a legitimate alternative to crime, and placing security back in the hands of the people who host the facilities.
Meanwhile, in their resolution, Chairman of the House Committee on Petroleum Resources (Downstream), Hon. Ikenga Ugochinyere, said after a comprehensive review of submissions and stakeholders’ presentations, the committees found no merit in the allegations contained in several petitions against Tantita Ltd.
Ugochinyere explained that all claims were subjected to detailed scrutiny and found to be unsubstantiated.
“There is no credible evidence to sustain any of the allegations. Accordingly, all complaints against Tantita are hereby dismissed,” he said.
Also speaking, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Petroleum Resources (Downstream), Senator Jarigbe Agom Jarigbe noted that continuity of the surveillance contract remains key to sustaining progress in the sector.
“Disrupting a system that is already delivering results would be counterproductive. Our responsibility is to ensure stability,” he said.
Similarly, Hon. Prince Okojie warned that splitting the contract could weaken coordination and accountability.
“We must strengthen what works, not dilute it. Nigeria’s economic security depends on disciplined execution,” he added.