As the federal government continues to seek ways of improving the nation’s stream of foreign earnings in the face of abnormally high exchange rate of naira to major foreign currencies, plans are under way to raise the nation’s crude oil production to the minimum of two million barrels per day by 2024.
Nigeria’s crude oil production was recently raised to 1.7 million barrels per day from its low level of about 1.2 million barrels per day which was attributed to the prevailing insecurity in the country which culminated in pipeline vandalism and oil theft.
It was consequent upon these that the nation has continued to fall short of her Oil Producing Exporting Countries (OPEC) production quota.
But the National Security Adviser to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Malam Nuhu Ribadu revealed recently that Nigeria will by next year upscale her crude oil production kevel to two million barrels per day on the back of improved security and blockage of oil theft. This he said will translate to improved venue considering federal government’s initiatives to check against revenue leakages.
Malam Ribadu said that Nigeria intends to take advantage of the surge in crude oil demands in the international market as well as the expansion of her production quota as approved by OPEC to maximize revenue income even as efforts are continuing by the present administration to diversify sources of revenue away from oil.
He reassured Nigerians of better days ahead over the lingering insecurity in parts of the country especially in the North-central, South South and South East geo-political zones.
Malam Ribadu who was the helmsman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) between 2003 and 2007 told members of the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) at the just concluded All Nigerian Editors Conference (ANEC) which held in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State that all security efforts are being made to tackle insurgency in Nigeria under the regime of President Ahmed Bola Tinubu. This year’s ANEC came as the 19th in the series
The NSA to the President who came to the conference in the company of Major General Jamal Habu Abdussalam, the General Officer Commanding (GOC) 6 Division, Nigeria Army and Land Component Command Operation Delta Safe said that the level of insecurity across the states of the Federation which ranges from kidnappings to banditry, and terrorism to killings has been reduced drastically since they came on board in June last year.
He expressed worries over the rate of destruction these criminal acts have reached, keeping Nigerians in misery and uncertainty.
Malam Ribadu however said that they are deliberately operating silently but smoothly with good records of achievements to reduce these crimes to the barest minimum.
He maintained that insecurity should not be allowed to stay long in any form aware of the destruction it could cause to schools, markets, hospitals, and ways of life in the society.
Admitting that kidnapping has replaced armed robbery, he maintained his words that the evil would soon be a thing of the past in the Federation.
