Nigeria’s oil and gas industry has recorded its lowest crude oil losses in nearly 16 years, according to new figures released by the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC).
The report shows that losses from theft and metering challenges fell to 9,600 barrels per day (bpd) in July 2025 – the lowest since 2009, when daily losses dropped to 8,500 bpd.
Between January and July 2025, total crude oil losses were contained at 2.04 million barrels, averaging 9,600 bpd. This represents a 50.2 per cent reduction compared with the 4.1 million barrels lost in the entire year of 2024, which averaged 11,300 bpd.
The figures also highlight a significant improvement compared with 2021, when Nigeria suffered its worst year in more than two decades with 37.6 million barrels lost – an average of 102,900 bpd. By contrast, losses in the first seven months of 2025 were down by 94.57 per cent, representing a difference of 35.56 million barrels within just four years.
Since the enactment of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) in 2021, losses have steadily declined – from 37.6 million barrels in 2021 to 20.9 million barrels in 2022, 4.3 million barrels in 2023 and 4.1 million barrels in 2024.
NUPRC attributed the milestone to a mix of kinetic and non-kinetic measures. It said collaboration with security agencies, operators and host communities had been strengthened to protect oil infrastructure, while metering audits across upstream facilities had helped close regulatory loopholes.
Under the leadership of Engr. Gbenga Komolafe, the Commission has also approved 37 new crude oil evacuation routes as part of measures to curb theft and safeguard production.
NUPRC reaffirmed its commitment to achieving zero tolerance for crude oil losses, saying ongoing reforms would sustain Nigeria’s production capacity while boosting government revenue for national development.
