Nigeria’s Crude Oil Output Drops to 1.4mbpd in March, Retains Top Spot in Africa
Story written by SpringsNewsNG Media Limited | Okafor Joseph Afam, Business Editor
Despite the decline, Nigeria maintained its position as Africa’s leading oil producer, outperforming Algeria and Congo. Based on direct communication with member countries, OPEC confirmed that Nigeria’s output remained ahead of Algeria’s 909,000 bpd and Congo’s 263,000 bpd.
However, secondary sources cited by OPEC showed Nigeria’s output at 1.51mbpd in March, slightly lower than the 1.54mbpd recorded in February. “Total DoC crude oil production averaged 41.02 mb/d in March 2025, which is 37 tb/d lower month-on-month,” the report noted.
Further confirming the drop, the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) announced on April 12 that the country’s actual oil production for March stood at 1,400,783 bpd—about 93 percent of the 1.5mbpd quota allocated to Nigeria by OPEC.
Meanwhile, OPEC and its allies resolved on April 4 to raise oil output by 411,000 bpd starting May, a move aimed at stabilizing global prices amid growing concerns that falling revenues could threaten Nigeria’s 2025 budget implementation.
