Nigeria Misses OPEC Crude Oil Quota As Output Averages 1.45million BPD In January

The latest figures indicate that the country once again failed to meet its 1.5 million barrels per day production quota set by the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).

Nigeria’s crude oil production averaged 1.45 million barrels per day in January 2026, a SaharaReporters’ review of data from the Nigerian Upstream Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) has shown.

The latest figures indicate that the country once again failed to meet its 1.5 million barrels per day production quota set by the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).

Earlier, SaharaReporters’ review of crude oil production data published in OPEC’s monthly report showed that Nigeria struggled to consistently meet its production quota throughout 2025.

According to the reviewed document, Nigeria’s crude oil output remained below its estimated quota of 1.5 million barrels per day for most of the year.

In the second quarter of 2025, the country averaged 1.48 million barrels per day. Output declined further to 1.44 million barrels per day in the third quarter and dropped again to 1.42 million barrels per day in the fourth quarter.

Although Nigeria met its quota in January 2025 with production at 1.5 million barrels per day, output fell sharply to 1.46 million barrels per day in February 2025.

In March 2025, crude oil production stood at 1.4 million barrels per day. Output rose slightly to 1.48 million barrels per day in April before slipping again to 1.45 million barrels per day in May.

Production figures for June and July 2025 were both reported at 1.5 million barrels per day, marking the only two consecutive months in 2025 during which Nigeria met the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries quota.

However, production declined again in the months that followed. In August, output fell to 1.4 million barrels per day. October 2025 also recorded an average daily production of 1.4 million barrels, while November stood at 1.43 million barrels per day. By December 2025, Nigeria’s crude oil production had dropped further to an average of 1.42 million barrels per day.

Using data from the Nigerian Upstream Regulatory Commission, SaharaReporters earlier reported that Nigeria’s crude oil production continued its downward trend in October 2025, with the month recording the lowest average daily output in seven months.

According to the reviewed data, average daily production in October stood at 1.30 million barrels, down from 1.38 million barrels recorded in September and 1.37 million barrels posted in August. July’s average was 1.40 million barrels per day, while June recorded 1.42 million barrels per day.

In May, Nigeria produced an average of 1.35 million barrels per day, the same figure recorded in April. March posted the lowest output earlier in the year at 1.29 million barrels per day — a figure lower than that recorded in October 2025. In February, daily crude oil output averaged 1.35 million barrels per day, while January recorded 1.39 million barrels per day.

Industry experts have urged the government to intensify efforts to address persistent production challenges, warning that continued shortfalls could undermine Nigeria’s revenue generation and overall economic growth.

SaharaReporters earlier reported that Nigeria has also struggled to meet local refinery demand for crude oil, compounding the impact of its inability to consistently meet the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries production quota.