As local oil refiners in Nigeria complain of persistent crude shortages, the country exported an estimated 306 million barrels of crude oil between January and October 2025, according to figures from the Central Bank of Nigeria.
The data reveal that while Nigeria produces substantial volumes of crude, the bulk of it is earmarked for export, leaving domestic refineries struggling to obtain adequate feedstock.
On several occasions, the Dangote Petroleum Refinery has complained of low crude supply despite the naira-for-crude deal, prompting it to source feedstock from the United States and even from neighbouring countries like Ghana and others.
Similarly, the Crude Oil Refiners Association of Nigeria lamented that some of its members’ modular refineries shut down intermittently due to a lack of crude oil. Between January and October, the CBN data shows that Nigeria’s crude production amounted to roughly 443.5 million barrels, averaging about 1.45 million barrels per day over the period.
The calculation of total production is derived directly from the CBN’s monthly figures, which are presented in million barrels per day. To determine actual monthly production, the daily output was multiplied by the number of days in each month.
For example, January’s production averaged 1.54 mbpd, and with 31 days in the month, the total production reached 47.74 million barrels.
