Nigeria Now Largest Crude Oil Producer In Africa – OPEC
Nigeria retained its position as the largest crude oil producer in Africa after an increase in the country’s January output, according to the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) data.
In its latest monthly report on Wednesday, the oil cartel said Nigeria’s oil output increased to 1.45 million barrels per day (bpd) in March — from 1.42 million bpd in December
According to the international organisation, the latest figure represents a 2.11 percent drop from the previous month’s output.
The oil alliance said its figures were derived from direct communication with Nigerian authorities.
OPEC normally gathers data on crude oil production from two sources: direct communication — which is from member countries — and secondary communication, such as energy intelligence platforms.
The latest figures show that Nigeria did not meet its 1.5 million bpd production quota, falling short by about 50,000 bpd.
Despite missing the target, the oil cartel said the country maintained its position as Africa’s leading oil producer, followed by Libya, which recorded an output of 1.37 million bpd.
OPEC also said data from secondary sources put Nigeria’s crude oil production at 1.47 million bpd in January — a 1.34 percent drop relative to the 1.49 million bpd recorded in December 2025.
Citing secondary sources, the OPEC said “total DoC crude oil production averaged 42.45 mb/d in January 2026, which is 439 tb/d lower, m-o-m”.
On February 10, Heineken Lokpobiri, minister of state for petroleum resources (oil), said Nigeria’s oil output, including condensates, was 1.75 million bpd.
