FG Moves Closer To 2.5 Million Barrels Target As PINL Brokers Peace In Ogoniland
The federal government is inching closer to its goal of boosting Nigeria’s crude oil production to 2.5 million barrels per day, following a breakthrough peace agreement brokered by Pipeline Infrastructure Nigeria Limited (PINL) in the oil-rich Ogoniland region of Rivers State.
PINL is the pipeline surveillance contractor covering the eastern corridor of the Trans Niger Pipeline (TNP).
Nigeria’s oil production had fallen below its OPEC quota to less than 1 million barrels daily in 2022 on crude oil theft, pipeline vandalism and bloody intra-community conflicts in Ogoniland.
However, reforms introduced propelled Nigeria’s oil production to grow to 1.7 million barrels per day (bpd), including condensate, in November 2024, marking a 13.3 per cent year-on-year (YoY) rise from the 1.5 million bpd recorded in the same period in 2023.
Yet, the decades of bloody intra-community conflicts have negatively impacted crude oil production activities in Ogoniland.
In order to fund the 2025 budget, President Bola Tinubu mandated the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Ltd to raise oil production to 2.5mbpd.
The Ogoni oil fields have been estimated to have the potential to produce a large amount of oil of over 500,000 barrels per day.
With the peace reached in the region, the government is set to achieve its oil target for its N54.9tn 2025 budget.
Highlighting the great feat, PINL brokered peace between the warring factions in Bodo Community of Gokana local government area of Rivers State.
This effectively brings peace and consensus-building among its 215 pipelines host communities.
Bodo, a key oil-bearing community, serves as a crucial hub, channeling crude oil from multiple pipelines—including the Trans Niger Pipeline (TNP)—to the export terminal in Bonny.
Beyond hindering Nigeria’s oil production capacity, the crisis has denied the community vital development and empowerment opportunities linked to local oil production activities.
Due to decades of internal crisis, the Host Community has missed out on key benefits such as involvement in pipeline surveillance operations and access to other corporate social responsibility initiatives from PINL.
Key stakeholders at the meeting included the Paramount Ruler of Bodo City, HRH King John B. Berebon, community political and youth leaders, officials from PINL, and representatives from the Ministry of Petroleum (Oil), the National Security Adviser (NSA), the Project Management Office (PMO), and the Department of State Services (DSS).
Speaking at the peace meeting, Hon. Eddie Julius, Special Adviser to the Minister of Petroleum Resources (Oil) on Host Communities, described the peace deal as timely and crucial for both the nation and the oil industry.
He noted that it would ensure safer operations and boost crude oil production in Bodo and across Ogoniland.
Julius said, “You know for sometime now, re-entry into Ogoni has become an issue within the Ogoni, the oil industry and the federal government. But today, this peace deal will translate to production, a peaceful relationship with the communities, the youth leaders, community excos and every other person in the community, which will also translate back in their communities as development.
“What we have achieved with this peace deal is something that in the next few months you will live to testify in it.”
He assured community representatives that the Ministry of Petroleum Resources was pleased with the positive developments in Bodo and would soon send officials to follow up, assess progress, and explore ways to support sustained growth and stability.
Julius said, “As Special Adviser on Host Communities, I’m a community man and I sincerely thank PINL for seeing this peace deal to this successful end. We standing here don’t know what this deal translates. But we thank God because this is what everyone desires for his community.
“By the grace of God, next few months when we meet, all will be joyful that we are meeting together. For sometime we could not see eye to eye but today, everyone is sitting and eating together and exchanging handshakes of love. That’s what I want us to keep henceforth. You know crisis never helps. It’s only understanding and accommodating yourselves that bring development to your place”.
Also highlighting the significance of the peace deal, Young Harry Amakiri, Admin Officer at the National Security Adviser’s Niger Delta Office in Port Harcourt, emphasized that it aligns with the President’s mandate to boost oil production to 2.5 million barrels per day. He noted that any crisis disrupting production undermines this national goal.
FG Moves Closer To 2.5 Million Barrels Target As PINL Brokers Peace In Ogoniland is first published on The Whistler Newspaper
