A major protest by members of the Itsekiri community in the Niger Delta has disrupted operations at the Escravos oil production facility in Ogidigben, Delta State, halting daily output of 28,000 barrels per day and threatening the Federal Government’s oil production target for 2025.
The protesters, who are aggrieved over a proposed ward delineation by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), have vowed to extend the shutdown to other oil facilities if their concerns are not addressed.
This disruption comes as Nigeria struggles to meet its ambitious 2025 daily oil production target of 2.06 million barrels per day. Currently, the country produces around 1.75 million b/d, already exceeding the 1.5 million b/d quota allocated by the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).
Meanwhile, Nigeria’s oil revenue faces further challenges following the imposition of trade tariffs by the United States. Last week, the Trump administration imposed tariffs between 10 and 65 percent on exports from various countries, including a 14 percent tariff on Nigerian exports.
Minister of Finance, Wale Edun, while reacting to the development, said the Federal Government will ramp up non-oil revenue sources to cushion the impact of the tariffs. He added that the Economic Management Team will meet to assess the implications and explore economic scenarios to guide government policy.
“There’s global uncertainty at a huge level… It’s not an announcement that the budget is being reviewed. It’s an announcement that it is our responsibility to look at the various scenarios and advise government accordingly,” Edun stated during a media briefing in Abuja.
In video footage obtained by Channels Television, the protesters were seen chanting and singing while security operatives barred them from entering the oil facility.
