LAGOS — Nigeria’s average daily crude oil production increased to 1.530 million barrels per day (bpd) in May 2026, marking a 15-month high and reinforcing its position as Africa’s top producer.
Data from the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) confirms output grew 2.77% month-on-month from April’s 1.489 million bpd. The growth reflects improved operational stability and zero major pipeline disruptions.
The surge pushed Nigeria to 102% compliance with its 1.5 million bpd OPEC quota. This is the first time the country has outperformed its allocated target since mid-2025.
Including an average daily condensate output of 170,446 barrels, Nigeria’s total hydrocarbon production for May reached 1.70 million bpd. This continues a steady five-month upward trajectory across upstream assets.
The recovery was driven primarily by strong terminal performance. The Bonny Terminal led national output at 293,870 bpd, while the Forcados and Qua Iboe streams contributed 289,900 bpd and 173,360 bpd respectively.
“In strict crude oil terms (excluding condensates), the 1.53 million barrels recorded in May 2026 represents the highest Nigeria has witnessed since January 2025 when crude oil production hit 1.538mbpd.” NUPRC said in a statement on X.
“The latest crude oil production statistics thus represents a 15-month high On a month on month basis, production rose by 2.77% in May 2026 as against 1.48mbpd in April.”
The NUPRC attributed the milestone to the successful completion of scheduled turnaround maintenance. Sustained asset protection also helped curb the historical infrastructure vulnerabilities that previously limited production capacity.
The growth provides critical relief for Nigeria’s macroeconomic indicators. Rising output directly strengthens federal oil revenues and boosts foreign exchange liquidity amid the Central Bank’s ongoing economic stabilization reforms.
