Nigeria’s Active Oil Rigs Jump from Eight to 46 in Four Years – NUPRC Credits PIA, Tinubu’s Policies

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The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) has announced a significant increase in the country’s oil production rig count, rising from just eight in 2021 to 46 as of July 2025.

Gbenga Komolafe, Chief Executive of the NUPRC, disclosed this on Wednesday in Abuja during a media workshop for journalists covering the oil and gas sector. He described the rig count—a key indicator of industry activity—as evidence of renewed growth in Nigeria’s petroleum sector.

Komolafe attributed the surge to the implementation of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) of 2021 and the commission’s efforts to boost production. He highlighted the success of the “Project One Million Barrels” initiative, launched in October 2024, which has already increased Nigeria’s daily oil output from one million barrels to approximately 1.7 million barrels.

“Since the program’s inception, we’ve added about 300,000 barrels per day, with a target of one million additional barrels annually,” he said.

The NUPRC boss also praised President Bola Tinubu’s Executive Orders 40, 41, and 42 (2024), which introduced fiscal incentives, enhanced local content participation, and streamlined contracting processes. According to Komolafe, these policies have spurred major investments, leading to multi-billion-dollar Final Investment Decisions (FIDs) in the sector.

He urged journalists to accurately report the commission’s regulatory role, clarifying that the NUPRC operates as a quasi-judicial body rather than an oil operator.

“Our mandate includes mediation and oversight—a complex but critical function that is often misunderstood,” Komolafe stated.

About The Author

Dele Fashomi

Dele Fashomi, seasoned journalist and communication teacher, is a holder of Master of Arts degree in Communication and Language Arts from the University of Ibadan in 1992/93.

Earlier, he had bagged a Bachelor degree from the same university in 1984, after which he proceeded to the Nigerian Institute of Journalism, Lagos, in 1990, for a postgraduate diploma in Journalism.

He had done many courses in communication, including the EU-BBC Editing Course in 2002.

Mr. Fashomi combines effectively the practice, research and teaching of communication. And to date, he has published two academic works in communication: Issues in Communication Technology and Policy (2010) and Economic and Social Issues in Advertising and PR (2013).

He had his first break in the Nigerian media in Concord Newspapers in 1990 and today, he has over two and half decades experience earned in several newspapers.

He has been part of many start-ups, such as The Republic (1987), The Comet (1999), The Anchor 2001 – 2002; Sun Newspapers (2003); Westerner newsmagazine (2005 – 2010) as Editor; National Life (2011) as Sunday Editor, and Newswatch Newspapers (2012- 2016) as Daily Editor.

Dele Fashomi is now the Publisher/Editor-in-Chief of Newstide247.com newspaper online, which he started in July 2015. He is also into biography writing, with many books in his trail, some of which he wrote alone and one he co- authored with his mentor, Mr Dare Babarinsa, entitled: Olabiyi Durojaiye – DARE TO BE DiFFERENT. He also guided and collaborated with Pa Olatunji Odusanya in writing his autobiography – AGAINST ALL ODDS. There are many other books in the works under his pen.

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