Nigeria’s crude oil production has reached its highest level in more than six years, with the country surpassing its Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries production quota for the fourth straight month, supported by improved operational stability and a decline in disruptions to oil infrastructure.

According to figures released on Sunday in Abuja by the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, average crude oil production increased to 1.56 million barrels per day in June 2026, while condensate production stood at 0.18 million barrels per day, lifting total crude oil and condensate output to 1,735,398 barrels per day.

The output represents 104 per cent of Nigeria’s OPEC-approved crude oil production quota of 1.5 million barrels per day and is the country’s highest crude oil production since April 2020, a 74-month high.

The figures, contained in the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission’s latest production report and disclosed in a statement by its Head of Media and Corporate Communications, Eniola Akinkuotu, show that June marked the fourth consecutive month of production growth, underscoring the continued recovery of Nigeria’s upstream oil sector after years of setbacks caused by crude theft, pipeline vandalism and operational disruptions.

The statement read, “Nigeria’s crude oil and condensate production soared to an average of 1,735,398 barrels per day in the month of June 2026, representing positive growth for a 4th consecutive month. In the month under review, crude oil production hit 1.56mbpd while 0.18mbpd of condensates was produced. This means Nigeria met 104 per cent of the 1.5mbpd crude oil production quota set by the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries.”

According to the commission, Nigeria’s combined crude oil and condensate production rose from 1.700 million barrels per day in May to 1.735 million barrels per day in June, representing a 2.2 per cent month-on-month increase.

The report showed a steady upward production trend over the past five months, with total output increasing from 1.483 million barrels per day in February to 1.564 million barrels per day in March, 1.663 million barrels per day in April, 1.700 million barrels per day in May, and 1.735 million barrels per day in June.

The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission attributed the stronger performance to stable production across major oil-producing assets and the absence of significant pipeline outages during the review period, highlighting continued improvements in operational efficiency and infrastructure security.

“The improved performance was primarily driven by stable production operations across most producing assets and the absence of any major pipeline outages during the period under review.

“This enhanced operational stability supported improved production uptime and crude evacuation efficiency. Although a limited number of assets experienced short-duration operational shutdowns, the overall impact on national production was minimal.

“In addition, scheduled turnaround maintenance activities were effectively managed and completed without significant disruption to production operations.

“The sustained growth recorded in June reflects the continued commitment of operators and industry stakeholders towards improving operational efficiency, maintaining asset integrity, and enhancing production reliability across the Nigerian upstream petroleum sector,” the statement added.

The commission further disclosed that Nigeria’s highest daily combined crude oil and condensate production in June reached 1.89 million barrels per day, while the lowest daily output was 1.57 million barrels per day.

The peak production level highlights the country’s increasing capacity to realise the Federal Government’s medium-term target of producing two million barrels of oil per day, a goal that has remained out of reach for years due to crude theft, insecurity in oil-producing communities and ageing infrastructure.