Nigeria Retains Africa’s Top Oil Producer Spot Despite March Output Dip – OPEC Report
Nigeria has held on to its crown as Africa’s leading crude oil producer, according to the latest monthly report from the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), released Monday.
The report revealed that Nigeria’s crude oil output dropped to 1.40 million barrels per day (bpd) in March 2025, down from 1.46 million bpd recorded in February. However, the West African giant still outpaced regional competitors, including Algeria and the Republic of Congo, whose production stood at 909,000 bpd and 263,000 bpd respectively.
OPEC’s findings, based on direct communication with member countries, highlight Nigeria’s continued dominance on the continent despite operational and structural challenges in its oil sector.
Interestingly, secondary sources painted a slightly different picture, estimating Nigeria’s March production at 1.51 million bpd — a marginal drop from 1.54 million bpd in February. Overall, OPEC noted that crude oil production across participating countries averaged 41.02 million bpd in March, marking a month-on-month decline of 37,000 bpd.
Back home, the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) confirmed the country’s output at 1,400,783 bpd for March. While this figure falls short of previous highs, it still represents 93 per cent of Nigeria’s production target of 1.5 million bpd as stipulated by OPEC.
Meanwhile, in a move to stabilize global oil markets and respond to falling prices, OPEC and its allies announced on April 4 that they would collectively boost output by 411,000 bpd starting in May. The decision comes at a critical time for Nigeria, as the government works to secure revenue projections tied to its 2025 national budget, which is highly dependent on oil earnings.
