Mkpoikana Udoma
Port Harcourt –– The Nigerian Navy has expressed confidence that the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited, NNPCL, will achieve its target of producing 2 million barrels of crude oil per day by the end of 2024.
Commodore Cajethan Aniaku, the Commander of the Nigerian Navy Ship, NNS Pathfinder, made this statement during the Nigerian Navy’s fourth quarter route march in Port Harcourt at the weekend.
Commodore Aniaku highlighted the crucial role the Navy plays in securing the country’s maritime assets, emphasizing that the Navy’s continued commitment to securing the nation’s oil infrastructure has directly contributed to the significant increase in oil production.
He noted that crude oil production had already risen to 1.8 million barrels per day, marking a substantial achievement and bringing the country closer to its production goal.
“We are almost 100 percent efficient in delivering our mandate, and our efforts are yielding the desired results. We are hopeful that by the end of the year, we will hit the 2 million barrels per day target.
“The Navy’s focus on ensuring the security of the nation’s oil assets, particularly in the Niger Delta, has been critical in reducing oil theft and illegal activities that have previously hindered production.”
According to Commodore Aniaku, these efforts are aligned with the mission and vision of the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ikechukwu Ogalla, to enhance the Navy’s operational readiness and contribute to the national economy.
The Navy also used the occasion of the route march to promote physical fitness and teamwork among its officers and men, which in turn, helps improve operational efficiency in securing both the maritime environment and the oil sector.
The route march, which spanned 8 kilometers through Port Harcourt’s Rumuolumeni area, brought together Navy personnel and other security agencies in a collective exercise aimed at fostering physical and mental alertness.
The NNS Pathfinder Commander assured of the Navy’s preparedness to confront any challenges in the course of securing the maritime domain in its area of responsibility, particularly in Rivers State.
“The essence of the exercise is for us to exercise our body to increase our efficiency in work, our mental and physical outlets too, to enable us discharge out duties efficiently in line with our constitutional mandate.
“And equally to build relationship with other security agencies and work as a team to achieve the desired purpose of keeping the state and the maritime environment safe.”
