Over two million barrels of crude oil per day is the goal set by the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL) for 2026.
The revelation was made by Engineer Akponime Omojevwhe, Head Field Operations, Eastern Corridor, Project Monitoring Office (PMO NNPCL), during the monthly stakeholder meeting with host communities of the Trans Niger Pipeline (TNP) held in Port Harcourt by Pipeline Infrastructure Nigeria Limited (PINL).
Additionally, he stated that the budget for 2026 is set at 2.80 mbpd.
According to Omojevwe, the communities and stakeholders’ cooperation with PINL is the reason why the TNP is currently producing at its best.
“I want to sincerely thank all of our stakeholders on this corridor because right now we can see that the TNP is green, which means that the products are flowing uninterrupted,” he stated.
Second, I would like to mention that our budget for 2026 is aimed at 2.80 mbpd; the budget starts at 1.84 mbpd, but our projected target is 2.06 mbpd.
We therefore want to express our desire for your forbearance, so please don’t give up, even as the year 2026 approaches and we have united to make sure that the forecast is increasing.
The NNPCL official emphasized the significance of communities and stakeholders in pipeline security, pointing out that no private security firm could succeed without their cooperation.
“The communities are essential to this work. Therefore, we must always be grateful to the community leaders—such as chiefs, CDCs, youth presidents, and female leaders—because without them, there would be nothing like green in terms of the pipeline if they didn’t spread our messages to the local population.
He said, “So our message is clear: we appreciate you and will always support PINL efforts just as you have been doing.”
Edi Julius, who spoke on behalf of Heineken Lokpobiri, the Minister of State (Oil), praised the cooperation between the communities and PINL and emphasized its influence on the nation’s oil production output.
“The minister of petroleum resources sincerely appreciates what the communities are doing since, in my opinion, output would not increase without peace from your domain.
“We can all attest to the production level today, and it is so ambitious for 2026 that we will reach the goal of producing more than two million barrels per day.”
He said, “Those things will bring in more money for the government and for PINL to be able to reach out to you.”
Dr. Akpos Mezeh, General Manager, Community and Stakeholders Relations, PINL, stated in his speech that the meeting allows the company to assess its progress in combating pipeline vandalism and crude oil theft, as well as to honor, celebrate, and show gratitude to important stakeholders, particularly host community leaders, for their support and dedication, which he claimed have maintained the nation’s economic stability.
He highlighted its accomplishments in the previous year, including strengthened grassroots communication with the launch of the Town Crier Initiative (TCI), increased community and stakeholder inclusion, human empowerment with a focus on women and students, and deepening security operations to include all oil and gas infrastructures near the TNP.
Other accomplishments he mentioned were 0% illegal bunkering, increased trust between PINL and host communities, and ongoing, consistent stakeholder engagement.
As they prepare for 2026, Dr. Mezeh urged greater cooperation with the host towns.
“Let’s keep safeguarding national resources, empowering our citizens, and bolstering the development of our country and region.
“May our cooperation grow, our solidarity be reinforced, and our unwavering dedication to peace and progress continue as we enter 2026,” he pleaded.
Additionally, Christmas palliatives for the 215 TNP host villages were announced by the PINL official via the medium.
In the meantime, His Majesty King Philip Osaro Obele, a leader of the host community, urged the Federal Government to carry out additional developments in the villages now that they are reaping the benefits of higher oil production money.
Additionally, he praised PINL for meeting with them on a monthly basis to provide updates on its activities.
