Nigeria has once again failed to meet its crude oil production quota set by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries after averaging 1.49 million barrels per day (mbpd) in April, slightly below the 1.5mbpd benchmark.
Figures released by the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission showed that the country produced an average of 1,488,540 barrels of crude oil daily in April, representing about 99 per cent of its OPEC allocation. However, when condensates were included, total daily production increased to 1.66mbpd.
The latest figures contradict an earlier statement by the NUPRC last month, which claimed that Nigeria’s oil production had risen to an average of 1.8mbpd.
The April performance means Nigeria has now remained below its OPEC production target for the ninth consecutive month since July 2025.
According to the NUPRC data, combined crude oil and condensate production reached a peak of 1.85mbpd during April, while the lowest recorded output stood at 1.46mbpd. Despite the shortfall, the April figures showed a modest improvement compared to March.
Nigeria’s oil production has continued to face major setbacks over the years due to crude oil theft, pipeline vandalism, ageing infrastructure, and inadequate investment in the upstream sector. Although there was a marginal increase in production in April, output remained insufficient to meet the country’s OPEC quota, highlighting the persistent challenges confronting the industry despite government efforts to boost production volumes.
The country’s crude oil production in March stood at 1.38mbpd. This reflected an increase of 69,000 barrels per day from the 1.31mbpd recorded in February, but it still fell short of the OPEC target by 117,000 barrels per day.
Figures for February had earlier shown a month-on-month decline of 146,000 barrels per day, further widening Nigeria’s gap from its OPEC allocation. This marked the eighth straight month the country failed to meet the quota since July 2025.
Although Nigeria recorded a slight recovery in January, with production rising from 1.422mbpd in December 2025 to 1.46mbpd, the rebound was short-lived as output dropped sharply again in February 2026.
Earlier NUPRC data also revealed that crude oil production weakened toward the end of 2025. Output declined from 1.436mbpd in November 2025 to 1.422mbpd in December before witnessing a slight recovery in January.
Overall, Nigeria failed to meet its OPEC production quota in nine months of 2025, surpassing or slightly exceeding the target only in January, June, and July.
The country had started 2025 on a strong note, producing 1.54mbpd in January, approximately 38,700 barrels per day above its OPEC allocation. However, production slipped below the quota in February at 1.47mbpd and declined further in March to 1.40mbpd, recording one of the largest shortfalls of the year.
Elijah Adeyemi
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