Nigeria’s crude oil rigs have risen to 46, up from 44 recorded last week, according to the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC).

The Commission’s Chief Executive, Gbenga Komolafe, disclosed this on Wednesday in Abuja at a Strategic Workshop for Media Practitioners organised by NUPRC’s Public Affairs and Corporate Communications Unit.

“As of today, the rig count is 46,” Komolafe stated. “I check the dashboard every day to evaluate our performance. We are a resilient team committed to optimising and valorising our hydrocarbon resources.”

Earlier on July 2, during the Nigerian Oil and Gas (NOG) Week 2025, Komolafe had announced that Nigeria’s rig count had reached 44, a major leap from just 8 rigs in previous years.

He recalled that when NUPRC commenced operations, crude oil production was on a decline and hovered around 1 million barrels per day. To reverse the trend, the Commission launched a strategy in August 2024 to boost output by 1 million additional barrels annually.

“We launched the one million barrels per day project, and since then, we have recorded a rise of 300,000 barrels per day,” he said. “That’s a significant achievement.”

According to Komolafe, Nigeria’s current production level stands at 1.7 million barrels per day, with industry operators regularly submitting encouraging performance reports.

He attributed part of the progress to President Bola Tinubu’s support for the oil and gas sector, particularly through a series of Executive Orders 40, 41, and 42 which offer tax incentives, local content reinforcements, and reforms in the contracting process.

“The Executive Orders have yielded very positive fruits,” he said. “We’re seeing Final Investment Decisions backed by huge capital inflows, thanks to those reforms.”

Komolafe said NUPRC remains committed to attracting investment and sustaining the momentum in production growth.