Nigeria’s crude oil production rose to 1.459 million barrels per day (bpd) in January 2026, reinforcing its position as Africa’s largest oil producer despite falling short of its Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) quota.
The figures were disclosed in OPEC’s latest Monthly Oil Market Report (MOMR) released on Wednesday.
The latest data highlights modest month-on-month growth in output but underscores Nigeria’s continued struggle to meet its assigned production ceiling. The increase signals gradual recovery in output levels, even as structural and operational challenges persist in the oil sector.
While Nigeria retained its top ranking on the continent, it has now recorded six consecutive months below its OPEC quota.
Nigeria’s crude oil production rose from 1.422 million bpd in December 2025 to 1.459 million bpd in January 2026, reflecting a month-on-month increase of 37,000 bpd. The data was sourced through direct communication between OPEC and Nigerian authorities. January output stood at 1.459 million bpd, up by 37,000 bpd from December’s 1.422 million bpd.
The country’s OPEC production quota remains 1.5 million bpd, leaving January output about 50,000 bpd below target. Secondary sources cited by OPEC placed Nigeria’s production slightly higher at 1.47 million bpd. Libya ranked second in Africa with 1.37 million bpd during the same period.
Nigeria has struggled to consistently meet its OPEC production quota over the past year due to a mix of security and infrastructure challenges. Operational disruptions and maintenance issues have further weighed on performance.
Although output has shown gradual improvement in recent months, industry observers maintain that structural reforms and enhanced security measures are critical to sustaining growth and closing the quota gap.
