Oil production has risen by 1.9 million bpd

The Special Adviser to President Goodluck Jonathan on the Niger Delta, Mr. Kingsley Kuku, has said the proclamation of amnesty by the Federal Government for militants has resulted in the increase of oil production by 1.9 million barrels per day.He said before the proclamation of amnesty for the Niger Delta ex- militants, oil production dropped to an all-time low of 700,000 bpd. He added, "Today, production stands at 2.6 million bpd. This means an increase of 1.9 million barrels per day. This means that production savings of crude oil stand at $104m per day for the country."Kuku made these remarks in Lagos at a ceremony for 214 ex-militants departing for vocational training in India under the post-amnesty training programme.He said with the initiation of the post amnesty programme, production immediately rose to 2.4 million bpd before hitting its present status.Kuku explained that the vision of government for the ex - Niger Delta militants was to ensure that they were key players in the emerging economies of states of the Niger Delta, who would be involved soon in building new construction sites, new town development projects, new railway projects, oil and gas business, agriculture and pipeline protection projects.Kuku said , "For savings for Nigeria in the year ending 2011, it is estimated that a whooping N6tn will be saved."Apart from the monetary gains, Kuku listed other benefits of the post amnesty programme to include reduction in the rate of kidnapping in the Niger Delta region.He said between January 2008 and January 2009, 128 persons including oil workers were kidnapped, as against over 1,000 persons who died in 2008 alone as a result of militant agitations.
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