Crude Output: NNPCL advocates third-party operators for idle oil and gas assets across Nigeria 

He made the recommendation on Thursday at the Heirs Energies Leadership Forum 2025 – Industry Leadership Discourse, which was attended by Naijaonpoint.

The event brought together oil and gas industry leaders, regulators, federal government officials, and relevant stakeholders to discuss how to make Nigeria energy self-sufficient.

Sharing insights on how stakeholders can move the industry forward, Ntia identified three key issues affecting the industry: contracting, aged facilities, and security.

Ntia further called for collaboration, emphasizing that many unproductive oil and gas assets are being hoarded by asset owners or operators, which calls for intervention from third-party operators or investors.

“I would like to see a shift toward more collaboration,” he said.

“The ultimate goal is to bring these fields into production. There’s no point in holding onto an asset if you don’t have the capital, aren’t ready to produce, and are just holding onto it. How about we bring in third-party operators? You can still be the operator, maintain oversight, and relinquish a bit of control to see these assets come alive with production.”

“Everybody will need to collaborate. Everyone should focus on what they do best. For areas where they lack the capital or resources, let those who can operate on a cost-revenue basis take on the work,” he advised.

According to him, everyone benefits from collaboration as stakeholders work together to unlock Nigeria’s oil potential for the economic benefit of all parties involved.

Some weeks back, President Bola Tinubu pledged to increase Nigeria’s crude oil production from under 1.5 million barrels per day to over 2 million bpd by 2025.

As of November 2024, Nigeria’s crude oil production experienced a slight decline in October 2024, dropping from 1.54 million barrels per day (bpd) to 1.53 million bpd.