ABUJA — The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has pledged to work with the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) to help raise Nigeria’s crude oil production to three million barrels per day by 2030.
PENGASSAN President, Comrade Bosun Olabiyi-Agoro, made the commitment on Wednesday, August 26, 2026, during a visit by the association’s new leadership to the NUPRC headquarters in Abuja, according to a statement by Eniola Akinkuotu, Head of Media and Corporate Communications, NUPRC.
Olabiyi-Agoro said achieving the production target would require cooperation among key stakeholders in the oil and gas industry.
“The President of Nigeria has an ambition which he runs through the CCE which is to make sure that by 2030 we are able to produce 3 million barrels per day. All of us have to work to make that happen.”
He added: “It will be our happiness to make sure that that target is actually attained.”
The PENGASSAN president assured the upstream regulator that the union was prepared to collaborate with the commission and other industry stakeholders.
“We can assure you that we are here to collaborate. We will be very reasonable,” he said.
Workers’ rights remain non-negotiable
Olabiyi-Agoro, however, said cooperation with the regulator would not mean compromising workers’ rights.
He said PENGASSAN remained open to negotiations but would insist on workers’ rights to freely associate and join the union.
He also identified contract staffing as one of the key issues his administration would address, signalling a focus on employment practices and the welfare of workers across the petroleum industry.
NUPRC: Oil production has risen to 1.755m bpd
The NUPRC Chief Executive, Mrs Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan, said the Federal Government had intensified efforts to increase oil production, citing the latest executive order targeting investment in deep offshore operations.
Eyesan said production had increased from a low of about 1.1 million barrels per day several years ago to an estimated 1.755 million barrels per day in 2026.
She said further increases would depend not only on investment and regulatory measures but also on maintaining industrial stability across the sector.
The NUPRC boss therefore sought PENGASSAN’s cooperation as the commission works towards the government’s 2030 production target.
“As you settle into your new role, be assured that the commission will give you 150% cooperation,” Eyesan said.
She added that the regulator wanted to work closely with the union to achieve the government’s oil and gas production objectives.
“We want to grow production from our current level to 3 million barrels in 2030. For gas, we are still doing under 8bcf and we want to grow that to 12bcf by 2030. So, let’s make that happen,” she said.
Gas output also targeted
Beyond crude oil, the NUPRC said Nigeria was targeting an increase in gas production from its current level of under 8 billion cubic feet per day (bcf/d) to 12 bcf/d by 2030.
The targets underline the Federal Government’s broader push to increase upstream investment, raise hydrocarbon production and strengthen Nigeria’s position as an oil and gas producer.
The meeting between the NUPRC and the new PENGASSAN leadership also highlighted the importance of industrial relations in delivering those ambitions, with both sides signalling willingness to cooperate while maintaining their respective responsibilities.
