Nigeria’s crude oil production rose to 1.459 million barrels per day, bpd, in January 2026, according to data submitted by the country to the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, OPEC, and published in its February 2026 Monthly Oil Market Report, MOMR.
The figure represents an increase of 37,000 bpd from 1.422 million bpd recorded in December 2025, and also reflects a rebound from November’s output of 1.420 million bpd, signalling a return to growth at the start of the year.
OPEC data based on direct communication indicated that Nigeria averaged 1.345 million bpd in 2024, while production improved to an annual average of 1.453 million bpd in 2025, reflecting gradual recovery in the upstream sector. The organisation, however, noted that its computation covers crude oil only and excludes condensate production.
The 37,000 bpd month-on-month increase ranks among the more significant output gains recorded by OPEC members during the period under review, placing Nigeria behind only Saudi Arabia, Iraq, the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait based on declared figures.
Saudi Arabia, the cartel’s largest producer, increased output by 16,000 bpd to 10.1 million bpd in January from 10.084 million bpd in December. Iraq also raised production by 16,000 bpd to 4.097 million bpd, while the UAE added 10,000 bpd to 3.383 million bpd. Libya’s production rose by 6,000 bpd to 1.378 million bpd.
In contrast, Algeria cut output by 1,000 bpd to 971,000 bpd, while Congo reduced production by 6,000 bpd to 275,000 bpd. Equatorial Guinea and Gabon remained among the lowest producers within the group.
Within Africa, Nigeria retained its position as the continent’s largest oil producer in OPEC, ahead of Libya, Algeria, Congo and Equatorial Guinea, based on submitted data.
Industry analysts attribute the improvement in Nigeria’s output to sustained efforts to stabilise production through enhanced pipeline surveillance, intensified crackdown on oil theft and gradual reactivation of previously shut-in wells. In recent years, output had been constrained by vandalism, insecurity in the Niger Delta and underinvestment in upstream infrastructure.
Meanwhile, OPEC disclosed that total oil production by the 22-nation alliance declined sharply in January due to losses in Kazakhstan, Venezuela and Iran. The group produced an average of 42.448 million barrels per day during the month, representing a drop of 439,000 bpd from the preceding month.
Also speaking on the sector’s outlook, Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPC Ltd, Engr. Bashir Bayo Ojulari, identified shared infrastructure, policy alignment, coordinated investment frameworks, cross-border technology exchange, integrated gas market development and sustained regional diplomacy among National Oil Companies, NOCs, as key pillars for securing Africa’s energy future.
Ojulari stated this during a fireside chat with Mr. Andy Brown, Deputy Chair of Ørsted and President of the Energy Institute, at the 2026 International Energy Week in London.
He said NNPC’s ongoing regional gas initiatives demonstrate how shared assets can unlock scale, efficiency and resilience, stressing that accelerated delivery of projects such as the Nigeria–Morocco Gas Pipeline and expansion of the West African Gas Pipeline would deepen regional integration and boost cross-border energy trade.
According to him, African nations must harmonise pricing systems, transit protocols, local content standards and joint technical regulations, drawing lessons from reforms such as Nigeria’s Petroleum Industry Act, PIA, to reduce investment barriers and protect shared infrastructure.
He further advocated structured joint investment platforms among African NOCs, noting that collective action would enable the continent attract and deploy capital more efficiently.
“Our pathway is clear: grow production responsibly, scale gas as the backbone of Africa’s industrialisation, strengthen environmental accountability and align with global decarbonisation objectives, while ensuring Africans are not left behind in the energy transition,” he said.
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