Nigeria’s oil drilling activity has surged following a US$8 billion investment in upstream infrastructure over the past three years, according to the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) .
At a media workshop in Abuja, NUPRC Chief Executive Gbenga Komolafe announced that the country’s active rig count has nearly quintupled—from just 8 rigs in 2021 to 46 rigs by July 2025.
Most of this growth occurred in the past year, with an increase from 31 rigs in January 2025 to 46 in July, marking a 48% rise within seven months .
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Since 2022, the investments have financed drilling across 236 wellbores, supporting both exploration and production efforts .
Komolafe attributed the uptick to reforms such as the Petroleum Industry Act 2021 and supportive “open for business” policies from President Bola Tinubu. These initiatives have encouraged investor confidence and facilitated upstream expansion.
Nigeria’s crude oil output has also risen, averaging around 1.7 million barrels per day, up from approximately 1 million, underscoring the impact of increased drilling activity.
The added rigs are spread across land, swamp, offshore, and deepwater sites, reflecting a more diversified drilling strategy .
