Nigeria's oil production has risen to 2.1 million barrels per day (MMbbl/d), the managing director of state oil firm NNPC said on Feb. 28, without giving an explanation for the increase.

"We are hoping that by the end of 2017 we should ramp up production to above 2.2 million barrels [per day]," Maikanti Baru told an oil conference in Abuja, Nigeria.

OPEC member Nigeria has given differing figures for its oil output in recent weeks.

Finance Minister Kemi Adeosun said on Feb. 23 that production was 2.2 MMbbl/d, without giving an explanation. Vice President Yemi Osinbajo had put output at between 1.7 MMbbl/d and 1.8 MMbbl/d in January.

Markets have been surprised by the reported rise because a major export pipeline carrying nearly 250 Mbbl/d, Forcados in the restive Niger Delta, has only been open for three weeks of the past year due to militant attacks.

There has been no sign of the pipeline resuming operation.

According to a Reuters survey, Nigeria's output was about 1.57 MMbbl/d in January.

There have been no recent militant attacks on pipelines in the Delta since Osinbajo has visited the southern region to calm tensions and broker a peace agreement.

The government has been holding talks with militants to end attacks on crude pipelines, which reduced Nigeria's output by 700 Mbbl/d for several months in 2016.

President Muhammadu Buhari met Niger Delta leaders and representatives for the militants in November to discuss their demands. They say they want a greater share of Nigeria's oil wealth to go to the impoverished region.

Baru also said Nigeria wanted to boost oil output by 2020 to 3 MMbbl/d and crude reserves to 40 MMbbl in the same time frame, up from 37 MMbbl.