Seven OPEC+ members decided on Sunday to again raise oil production quotas as Gulf countries reel from the Middle East war.

Ministers from key OPEC+ countries Saudi Arabia, Russia, Iraq, Kuwait, Kazakhstan, Algeria, and Oman met virtually on Sunday and “decided to implement a production adjustment of 188 thousand barrels per day,” a statement from the organisation said, adding that “this adjustment will be implemented in August 2026”.

Gulf countries had to cut output after the near-paralysis of the Strait of Hormuz orchestrated by Iran during the war in the Middle East, which blocked their oil exports for several months.

Between the first quarter of 2026 and May, combined production by Saudi Arabia, Iraq, and Kuwait — three of the seven countries raising their quotas — fell by some six million barrels per day, OPEC data have shown.
But on June 17, Tehran and Washington signed a memorandum of understanding, committing themselves to removing obstacles to maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz for the duration of talks following the signature.

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Giovanni Staunovo, a commodity analyst at the Swiss bank UBS, told AFP that “for now, production is probably still below” OPEC+’s targets.

Time-consuming restart
Since the memorandum of understanding was signed, ship transport in the region has slowly recovered, with oil prices dropping sharply to levels comparable to those seen before the war in anticipation of a gradual return to normal.

Oil supplies through this shipping lane may already have exceeded ten million barrels a day, according to a US official quoted by the Bloomberg agency.

But the oil currently leaving the strait has up to now been sitting in tankers or storage facilities, said Saxo Bank analyst Ole Hansen, adding that “shut-in production takes time to restart”.

“Assuming shipping continues to normalise, July will show an improvement with August probably being the month where the pickup accelerates,” he told AFP.

Cohesion at Stake

“For next year, everybody is anticipating a surplus,” Jorge Leon, an analyst at Rystad Energy, told AFP.

Rebuilding the inventories that countries tapped during the conflict should help absorb the flows at first, but producers may face a strong downward pressure on prices later on.

And OPEC+, already weakened by the departure of the United Arab Emirates from the group in May, will have to manage sliding prices while members will push for production increases.

Iraq, in particular, has asked the cartel to raise production quotas to make up for the shortfall it incurred during the war in the Middle East, the Iraqi Oil Ministry said in late June.

But Hansen said the need for a higher quota “is not imminent” as production volumes are still far from their pre-conflict levels.

“Iraq’s request may become part of the 2027 capacity review, where production baselines will be examined,” he added.

At the end of the year, the OPEC+ is indeed due to reassess members’ quotas based on their ability to produce more, which could become a thorny issue.

Courtesy – AFP

Governor Dauda Lawal of Zamfara State has reaffirmed that his administration will not negotiate with bandits, declaring that security operations against criminal groups will continue until they surrender or face the full weight of the law.

The governor made the declaration through his Chief of Staff, Alhaji Mukhtar Musa, during the inauguration of the Secretariat of the Association of Zamfara State Indigenes Residing in Kaduna on Sunday.

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Speaking at the event, Musa said the Lawal administration remains committed to ending insecurity through sustained collaboration with security agencies across the state.

He disclosed that the state government would continue providing logistics, equipment, ammunition and other operational support to security forces battling banditry.

“The governor will never negotiate with bandits. Those willing to surrender should do so or face the law,” Musa said.

According to him, the government will sustain its offensive against bandits until lasting peace is restored across Zamfara State.

He also stressed the importance of community intelligence, urging residents to promptly report suspicious movements and activities to security agencies to strengthen the fight against insecurity.

Musa assured members of the association that Governor Lawal remains committed to restoring peace and delivering meaningful development across the state.

Describing the gathering as a reflection of unity among Zamfara indigenes living outside their home state, he commended the organisers for establishing the association’s secretariat in Kaduna and disclosed that the governor would visit the association in the future to strengthen ties.

As part of the government’s support, Musa announced a donation of ₦5 million to assist the association’s activities.

Earlier, the association’s Chairman, Alhaji Garba Balarabe, described the inauguration as a historic milestone, saying the secretariat would serve as a centre for unity, coordination and the welfare of members.

He revealed that the association distributed 280 bags of 10kg rice, vegetable oil and spaghetti to less privileged members and appealed to the Zamfara State Government to assist in acquiring a permanent office in Kaduna.

Also speaking, the Zamfara Commissioner for Environment and Natural Resources, Dr. Abdulrahman Tumbido, commended the association’s humanitarian initiative, noting that many Zamfara indigenes had relocated to Kaduna due to insecurity.

Despite the security challenges, Tumbido expressed optimism that peace and stability would soon return to Zamfara.

The National President of the Zamfara State Indigenes Association, Alhaji Usman Balarabe, called for greater unity among members and pledged continued support for women, children and other vulnerable groups.

In her remarks, the association’s Ex-Officio, Hajiya Aishatu Maradun, urged the state government to sustain support for programmes aimed at strengthening the association.

Representing Engr. Abdullahi AbdulKarim Tsafe, Engr. Garba Abubakar formally inaugurated the secretariat.

He praised the association for supporting vulnerable members and recommended translating its constitution into Hausa to enhance understanding and ensure effective administration.

The event attracted government officials, traditional rulers, politicians, community leaders and members of the association from Kaduna, Abuja and other parts of the country.

The United States has said it will closely monitor Nigeria’s 2027 general elections, with US Congressman Riley Moore stating that President Donald Trump’s administration will be paying “very close attention” to how the country’s next polls are conducted.

Moore, a Republican representing West Virginia, made the remarks during an interview with NoireTV while responding to questions about Nigeria’s upcoming general elections.

According to him, Washington is committed to observing both the outcome and the conduct of the elections to ensure they are credible and transparent.

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“We’re certainly going to be watching these results and how these elections unfold and how they’re executed. And that’s something that myself and the administration are going to be paying very close attention to,” Moore said.

The congressman also disclosed that the US House of Representatives is considering an appropriations bill containing provisions relating to Nigeria, particularly on religious freedom and US security assistance.

“We’re working on Chris (Smith)’s bill, which obviously I’m a co-sponsor of that bill. But I’d say, more importantly, what people need to pay attention to is the appropriations bill that we’re going to have on the floor today,” he stated.

Moore explained that the proposed legislation contains what he described as “pretty strong and aggressive language” regarding Nigeria’s relationship with the United States.

“There’s a lot of language that I put on that bill that relates to Nigeria, the persecution of Christians and restrictions on security assistance to the government of Nigeria, and steps that they have to take,” he said.

He added that the bill is expected to become law and would have a binding impact on future US-Nigeria relations.

“That bill’s likely to become law. We’re about to, hopefully, pass that here today. And so there’s some pretty strong and aggressive language in that bill that’s going to be binding as it relates to our relationship to Nigeria moving forward,” Moore added.

The lawmaker further revealed that he would continue engaging President Donald Trump’s administration on issues concerning Nigeria, disclosing that he was scheduled to meet the US president during a dinner engagement.

“I continue to work with the administration on next steps that we’re going to take. I’m actually going to see President Trump tonight. I’ll be having dinner with him and some other members, so yeah, I continue to talk to him about these issues, and it’s very important to him,” he said.

Moore is a co-sponsor of the Nigeria Religious Freedom and Accountability Act of 2026, introduced alongside Congressman Chris Smith in February.

The proposed legislation seeks to require the US Secretary of State to submit periodic reports to Congress on efforts to address religious persecution and mass atrocities in Nigeria.

The bill also proposes regular assessments of Nigeria’s compliance with international religious freedom obligations, US security assistance, sanctions, humanitarian support, and measures taken by the Nigerian government to protect vulnerable communities and prosecute those responsible for attacks.

Earlier in April 2026, the US House Appropriations Committee approved provisions in its annual State Department funding bill imposing stricter oversight and conditions on financial assistance to Nigeria.

The proposal recommends withholding 50 percent of US foreign assistance allocated to Nigeria until it is certified that the Nigerian government is taking effective steps to curb religious violence.

It also requires that the funds support investigations and prosecutions of violence committed by Fulani militia groups and that the government facilitates the safe return of displaced persons.

If passed into law, the legislation is expected to shape future diplomatic relations, security cooperation and financial assistance between the United States and Nigeria.