ABUJA — The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has pledged closer cooperation with the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) to help Nigeria achieve its target of raising crude oil production to 3 million barrels per day by 2030.
The commitment was made on Wednesday, August 26, 2026, when the newly elected leadership of PENGASSAN, led by its President, Bosun Olabiyi-Agoro, paid a visit to the NUPRC’s corporate headquarters in Abuja.
Olabiyi-Agoro said the union recognised the importance of collaboration among government, regulators, employers and workers in rebuilding Nigeria’s upstream oil industry and unlocking additional production.
“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 said.
“It will be our happiness to make sure that that target is actually attained. We can assure you that we are here to collaborate. We will be very reasonable.”
PENGASSAN links industrial stability to production growth
The new PENGASSAN leadership said it was prepared to engage constructively with the regulator and other industry stakeholders to support investment, operational efficiency and production growth.
However, Olabiyi-Agoro stressed that collaboration would not mean compromising workers’ fundamental rights.
He said the union remained open to negotiations but would not compromise on employees’ rights to freely associate and join a trade union.
Issues surrounding contract staffing are also expected to feature prominently in the new administration’s agenda, he said, signalling a focus on employment practices and the protection of workers within Nigeria’s oil and gas industry.
The balance between industrial relations and investment competitiveness is increasingly important as Nigeria seeks to reverse years of declining production, attract new capital and maximise its upstream petroleum resources.
NUPRC: Nigeria’s oil output has rebounded
NUPRC Commission Chief Executive, Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan, said the Federal Government had intensified efforts to increase oil production, including through recent policy measures aimed at attracting investment into deepwater developments.
Eyesan said Nigeria’s production had recovered significantly from the low levels recorded in previous years.
According to her, output had risen from about 1.1 million barrels per day a few years ago to an estimated 1.755 million barrels per day in 2026.
The improvement, she said, reflected ongoing efforts to restore production and create a more attractive environment for upstream investment.
Eyesan also highlighted the importance of the Federal Government’s latest executive order targeting deep offshore investments, describing it as part of broader efforts to unlock additional production capacity.
Industrial peace critical to 3m bpd target
Despite the production gains, the NUPRC chief stressed that industrial stability would remain essential if Nigeria is to sustain the momentum and achieve significantly higher output.
For an industry characterised by complex offshore operations, ageing infrastructure, security risks, capital-intensive projects and long development cycles, prolonged labour disputes can disrupt production and undermine investor confidence.
Eyesan’s emphasis on industrial stability therefore places labour-management relations alongside regulation, investment and infrastructure as critical components of Nigeria’s production strategy.
The 3 million barrels per day target represents a significant increase from current production and would require the successful development of new fields, rehabilitation of existing assets, improved operational reliability and sustained investment across the upstream value chain.
Unlocking investment remains key
Nigeria has spent years attempting to reverse declining oil production as operators contend with underinvestment, crude theft, pipeline disruptions, ageing infrastructure and regulatory uncertainty.
The Petroleum Industry Act and subsequent regulatory reforms have sought to create a more predictable investment environment, while recent government measures have focused on accelerating field development and bringing new projects on stream.
Achieving the 3 million bpd ambition will ultimately depend on whether those reforms translate into faster investment decisions, final investment decisions on major projects and increased production from both existing and new assets.
For PENGASSAN, the workforce will be a central part of that equation.
The union’s willingness to collaborate with the NUPRC could provide an important channel for addressing labour-related challenges while supporting the regulator’s efforts to increase production.
Labour, regulation and investment converge
The meeting between PENGASSAN and NUPRC comes at a critical point for Nigeria’s oil industry, with the government seeking to increase production, attract fresh capital and strengthen the country’s position in global energy markets.
For the regulator, higher output means increased government revenue, stronger foreign-exchange earnings and greater energy security. For operators, it requires a stable investment and operating environment. For workers, it raises questions about employment security, labour rights and the distribution of the benefits generated by higher production.
The challenge for the industry’s stakeholders will therefore be to align these interests.
PENGASSAN’s new leadership has now signalled its willingness to play a collaborative role in that process, while making clear that workers’ fundamental rights remain protected.
If sustained, the partnership could become an important component of Nigeria’s effort to move from the current production recovery towards the much more ambitious 3 million barrels per day target by 2030.
