Crude Losses Dropped 90% In 4 Years, NUPRC Insists

The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) has insisted that crude lipid losses successful Nigeria person dropped by implicit 90 per cent successful the past 4 years, signaling important advancement successful tackling lipid theft.

According to the commission, regular crude lipid losses fell from 102,900 barrels per time (bopd) successful 2021 to conscionable 9,600 bopd successful 2025, marking the lowest level since 2009.

Refuting a study by a paper alleging that “N8.41trillion lipid theft drains economy, fuels investors’ doubts,” the committee called the work misleading, citing superior errors successful the mentation of crude lipid nonaccomplishment information covering the play from 2021 to July 2025.

The disputed study based its claims mostly connected crude nonaccomplishment figures that the NUPRC had transparently published nether the Petroleum Industry Act, 2021, arsenic portion of its mandate to foster openness successful the sector. However, the committee stressed that the study misrepresented these figures and ignored captious discourse explaining the steep diminution successful lipid theft and losses implicit the past 4 years.

Recall that connected September 11, 2025, the NUPRC revealed that regular crude lipid losses had declined to 9,600 barrels per time (bopd), marking the lowest level since 2009. This milestone has been wide acknowledged arsenic a important accomplishment attributable to the commission’s regulatory oversight and coordinated actions with information and manufacture stakeholders.

The NUPRC attributed this accomplishment to concerted efforts and beardown collaboration among the commission, the Office of the National Security Adviser, the military, lipid operators, and different stakeholders. These combined actions, some kinetic and non-kinetic, person been captious successful reducing crude theft and securing the upstream petroleum sector.
The NUPRC pointed retired respective cardinal points were highlighted by the NUPRC to underline the flaws successful report:
Substantial Reduction successful Crude Losses: Since the NUPRC’s constitution successful 2021, determination has been a monumental simplification of implicit 90 per cent successful crude lipid losses, dropping from a staggering 102,900 barrels per time successful 2021 to 9,600 barrels per time successful 2025.

This advancement reflects palmy associated efforts involving the commission, the Office of the National Security Adviser, the military, lipid operators, and different applicable parties utilizing some kinetic and non-kinetic approaches.

Incorrect Exchange Rate Usage: The newspaper’s calculation of a nonaccomplishment of N8.41 trillion hinged connected an assumed speech complaint of N1,500 to $1 applied uniformly from 2021 to 2025. The NUPRC clarified this is grossly inaccurate due to the fact that Nigeria’s authoritative speech complaint was beneath N430 to $1 and averaged astir N600 to $1 during astir of the play erstwhile crude theft was astatine its peak. This inappropriate speech complaint exaggerates the monetary worth of losses by respective folds, rendering the N8.41 trillion fig misleading and unrelated to the existent 2025 national fund context.

Flawed Methodology: the committee besides explained that the study failed to relationship for analyzable operational realities, lipid terms fluctuations, and speech complaint mechanisms captious to accurately quantifying losses. Without a heavy knowing of manufacture dynamics and regulatory frameworks, specified calculations are prone to misinterpretation.

The committee further insists that this diminution successful losses has positively impacted Nigeria’s broader economy. Supporting this, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) precocious reported a 4.23 per cent maturation successful the economy, driven mostly by accrued lipid accumulation alongside maturation successful different sectors.
The NUPRC highlights respective cardinal initiatives nether its enactment that person helped prolong this progress:
The “Project 1 Million Barrels” to summation regular accumulation capacity.
Comprehensive metering audits to amended accuracy and transparency.
Restoration of shut-in accumulation strings to boost output.
Increased rig counts and improved installation uptime to heighten operational efficiency.
Development of alternate crude evacuation routes to mitigate proviso disruptions.
Insisting connected Nigeria’s continued upward trajectory, the committee stated that the state present has the method capableness to nutrient much than 2 cardinal barrels daily. It is actively mobilising manufacture stakeholders—including operators, work providers, rig owners, off-takers, and financiers—to afloat unlock this potential, leveraging an improved operating situation and enhanced societal inclusion successful oil-producing areas.
The NUPRC remained steadfast successful its committedness to transparency, accountability, and sustained collaboration to guarantee Nigeria’s upstream petroleum assemblage continues to thrive and present maximum benefits to the system and its citizens.