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3 million bpd oil target needs phase-by-phase communication from producers, expert says.
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Periodic project updates will boost investor confidence and accountability in oil sector.
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Strategic communication key to meeting Nigeria’s 2030 oil production goal.
An energy communication researcher, Dr. Adeola Yusuf, has urged President Bola Tinubu to demand periodic communication and detailed project updates from oil producers working to deliver Nigeria’s 3 million barrels-per-day oil production target by 2030.
Yusuf made the call during a plenary session at the Nigeria International Energy Summit (NIES) 2026, which was attended by the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Heineken Lokpobiri, and the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Patience Oyekunle, alongside industry stakeholders.
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Speaking on the theme, “Impact of Storytelling in Attracting Investment in Nigeria and Africa’s Energy Transformation,” Yusuf said projects backed by structured, phase-by-phase strategic communication record higher success rates than those without clear communication frameworks.
He stressed that oil producers and contractors assigned to ramp up Nigeria’s production capacity must be compelled to regularly communicate progress on the target in order to sustain confidence and accountability.
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Yusuf warned that even if Nigeria achieves the 3 million barrels-per-day target by 2030, the country’s per capita oil production would still decline due to population growth, making it critical not to fall short of the goal.
According to him, Nigeria’s current oil production of about 1.6 million barrels per day, with a population estimated at 200 million, translates to 0.008 barrels per person, compared to a projected 0.007 barrels per person by 2030 when the population is expected to reach over 400 million.
He noted that the figures show why Nigeria cannot afford delays or lapses in meeting the production target set by President Tinubu and being pursued by the Ministry of Petroleum Resources.
Yusuf also urged the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources to demand that contractors adopt strategic communication plans that clearly outline milestones and timelines for the project.
Drawing from his research on media coverage of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) between 2018 and 2021, Yusuf said poor communication slowed progress on the bill before its eventual passage into law.
He explained that public and investor awareness improved significantly in 2021 after the bill was passed and signed into law by former President Muhammadu Buhari in August of that year.
Yusuf recalled that in 2018, the withholding of presidential assent to the PIB was poorly communicated, leaving both Nigerians and global investors largely uninformed for weeks.
He said the contrast between the communication approaches in 2018 and 2021 demonstrates the importance of transparency and deliberate messaging in policy execution.
According to him, meeting Nigeria’s 3 million barrels-per-day oil production target by 2030 will require consistent internal and external communication on progress by all parties responsible for its delivery.
The plenary session featured the Executive Secretary of the Petroleum Trust and Development Fund (PTDF), Ahmed Galadima Aminu, as lead speaker, alongside other industry experts and stakeholders.
