Despite a decline in production, Nigeria has retained its position as Africa’s largest crude oil producer, according to the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).
In its latest monthly report on Monday, OPEC noted that Nigeria’s oil output dropped to 1.45 million barrels per day (bpd) in May, down from 1.48 million bpd in the previous month.
Persecondnews reports that despite the decline, Nigeria’s oil output surpassed that of Libya, Algeria, and Congo, retaining its position as the biggest oil producer in Africa.
According to OPEC, Nigeria’s oil production outpaced Libya’s 1.36 million bpd, Algeria’s 920,000 bpd, and Congo’s 268,000 bpd.
The oil cartel noted that its figures were derived from direct communication.
OPEC also reported that data obtained from secondary sources indicated Nigeria’s production reached 1.54 million bpd in May, an increase from 1.52 million bpd in April.
The report highlights Nigeria’s continued dominance in Africa’s oil production, despite fluctuations in output.
“Total DoC crude oil production averaged 41.23 mb/d in May 2025, which is 180 tb/d higher, m-o-m,” the report said.
Persecondnews recalls that last Friday, the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NUPRC) released data on the country’s oil production, disclosing that it decreased to 1,452,941 barrels of oil per day (bpd) in May.
This represents a 2.20 percent drop compared to the 1,485,700 bpd in April.
The NUPRC noted that the average crude oil production for May represents 97 percent of the 1.5 million bpd quota set for Nigeria by OPEC.
According to the NUPRC, the daily average production in May was 1,657,435 barrels per day, comprising both crude oil (1,452,941 bpd) and condensate (204,493 bpd).
The commission also reported that the lowest and peak combined crude oil and condensate production in May were 1.61 million bpd and 1.810 million bpd, respectively.
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