Business
Nigeria Assure On Meeting 1.8mbd OPEC Production Quota
The Group Chief Executive Officer, (GCEO) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Mele Kyari, has assured that Nigeria will meet its 1.8 million barrels per day, mbd, Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, OPEC, production quota.
He gave the assurance as he announced that the country’s oil production has risen to 1.6mbd from less than 1 million barrels per day, bpd, in August last year.
“We are growing production. In July 2022 we were at less than 1 million barrels per day. As at yesterday, we were at 1.6 million barrels and hopefully we will meet the OPEC quota of 1.8 million,” Kyari told newsmen at the NNPC headquarters in Abuja.
Nigeria had late last year hinted, through its national security adviser, of its output significantly improving before the end of this quarter due to stepped up security efforts in the Niger Delta.
Prior to this indication, oil production fell to less than 1mbd in August, the lowest in years due to increased crude theft and vandalism of pipelines, forcing some companies to curtail or stop production.
National Security Adviser, Babagana Monguno, had told reporters that security agencies had stepped up efforts to improve the security situation in collaboration with other government ministries.
“We are hoping that before the end of the first quarter next year there will be a significant improvement in oil production,” he had said without giving details.
Nigeria has an OPEC production quota of 1.8mbd, but has been producing way below the target, missing out on an oil price boom that has benefitted oil and gas producing countries and their economies.
Credit to Nigeria’s private sector rose to N83.26 trillion in June 2026 from N81.04 trillion in May, signifying a positive balance of N2.22 trillion month-on-month.
Year-on-year, the figure represents a nine per cent increase compared with the N76.13 trillion recorded in June 2025. The latest figures come as the CBN continues to balance efforts to control inflation with the need to support economic growth and expand credit to businesses.
The CBN data shows that credit to Nigeria’s private sector increased by approximately 2.74 per cent month-on-month between May and June 2026. Also, the CBN data noted that credit to the government fell slightly to N40.03 trillion from N40.38 trillion. Other assets, net, dropped to N10.76 trillion from N12.63 trillion.
The credit surge signifies sustained growth in lending to businesses and other private-sector borrowers during the month. The rise in private sector credit was recorded alongside an increase in net domestic credit, despite declines in credit to government and other assets.
Further analysis of the report says that compared with June 2025, private sector credit rose by about N7.13 trillion yea-on-year but net domestic credit increased by approximately N1.87 trillion during the month.
The CBN’s relatively tight monetary policy stance notwithstanding, more banks still loaded funds to the private sector within the period. The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) held its 306th meeting on July 20 and 21.
The Committee reviewed recent developments in the global and domestic economies, assessed emerging risks to the outlook and considered their implications for monetary policy and retained all rates.
The Committee decided to retain the Monetary Policy Rate at 26.5 per cent; the Standing Facilities Corridor around the MPR at +50/-450 basis points and retain the Cash Reserve Requirement (CRR) for Deposit Money Banks at 45.00 per cent, Merchant Banks at 16.00 per cent, and non-TSA public sector deposits at 75.00 per cent.
The MPC decision means that credit extension in the private sector will likely continue to rise because of rising confidence in the sector and calls by stakeholders for banks to invest in the private scetor instead of government securities.
