The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) has revealed a significant increase in the country’s oil production rig count, rising from just eight rigs in 2021 to 46 as of July 2025.
Mr. Gbenga Komolafe, the Commission’s Chief Executive Officer, made the disclosure on Wednesday in Abuja during the inauguration of a media workshop for journalists covering the oil and gas sector.
According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the rig count serves as a crucial indicator of drilling activity and overall vibrancy in the oil industry.
Komolafe credited the growth in rig numbers to the 2021 Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) and the commission’s efforts to boost production.
Through the “Project One Million Barrels” initiative launched in October 2024, Nigeria has scaled up oil output from around 1.7 million barrels per day, targeting an additional one million barrels annually. Since the project’s start, production has increased by approximately 300,000 barrels per day.
He also praised President Bola Tinubu’s Executive Orders 40, 41, and 42, which introduced tax incentives, tax remissions, and revised contracting frameworks, helping attract billions of dollars in investment through Final Investment Decisions (FIDs).
Komolafe urged journalists to cover NUPRC activities with professionalism to help the public better understand the commission’s regulatory role.
“As a regulator, we are often misunderstood; we mediate and oversee the industry, but we are not operators,” he said, emphasizing the complex nature of the commission’s responsibilities.
