Nigeria’s Oil Output Hits 1.8m Barrels Per Day as FG Targets 2.5m

Nigeria’s crude oil production has surged to 1.8 million barrels per day (bpd), up from 1 million, according to the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Senator Heineken Lokpobiri.

Speaking at the Africa Energy Investment Summit (AE Invest 2025) in New York, Lokpobiri said the federal government is determined to push output further to 2.5 million bpd, noting that American energy companies are already showing renewed interest in investing in Nigerian oil blocks.

The minister stressed that Africa must continue to leverage its hydrocarbon wealth rather than bow to external pressure to abandon fossil fuels.

“Africa must not be deceived into abandoning fossil fuels while the West continues to expand production. Our hydrocarbons will finance our transition — not charity, not aid,” he declared.

His remarks were echoed by Equatorial Guinea’s Vice President, H.E. Nguema Obiang Mangue, represented by the country’s Minister of Hydrocarbon Mining Development, H.E. Antonio Oburu Ondo. He urged Africa to reclaim sovereignty over its energy resources.

“Africa holds 40% of the world’s natural resource discoveries yet remains at the mercy of financiers in London, Paris, and New York. Energy finance is a question of sovereignty. We must build the African Energy Bank, mobilize our sovereign wealth and pension funds, and secure Africa’s rightful place as a global energy leader,” Ondo said.

The Secretary-General of the African Petroleum Producers’ Organization (APPO), Dr Omar Farouk Ibrahim, emphasised the role of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) as a platform to unite African leaders and global investors.

“UNGA brings all our leaders and investors together, making it the ideal platform to connect, engage, and unlock funding for Africa’s energy future,” Ibrahim stated.

The discussions come amid rising calls for Africa to balance its energy security, economic development, and global climate commitments.