Nigeria’s crude oil production hits 1.56mbpd in June, highest since April 2020

Nigeria’s crude oil production rose to an average of 1.56 million barrels per day (mbpd) in June 2026, marking the country’s highest monthly crude oil output since April 2020.

The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) disclosed this in a statement shared on its official X account on Sunday.

According to the commission, the latest figures show that Nigeria exceeded its 1.5 million bpd crude oil production quota set by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), achieving 104% of the target, while combined crude oil and condensate production climbed to 1.735 million barrels per day.

What the data is saying

According to the NUPRC, Nigeria’s average crude oil and condensate production reached 1,735,398 barrels per day in June, representing the fourth consecutive month of production growth. The production comprised 1.56 million bpd of crude oil and 0.18 million bpd of condensates, with crude oil output alone exceeding OPEC’s production quota for Nigeria.

• “Nigeria meets 104% of OPEC Quota as Production Soars. Crude oil production rises to 74-month high. Nigeria’s crude oil and condensate production soared to an average of 1,735,398 barrels per day in the month of June 2026, representing positive growth for a fourth consecutive month,” the statement read in part.
• “In strict crude oil terms (excluding condensates), the 1.56 million daily average production Nigeria witnessed in June is the highest that Africa’s biggest oil producer has recorded since April 2020, thus representing a 74-month high.”

The commission further stated that combined crude oil and condensate production peaked at 1.89 million bpd during the month, while the lowest daily production recorded was 1.57 million bpd, highlighting that output moved closer to the 2 million barrels per day mark.

More insights

NUPRC stated that Nigeria’s combined crude oil and condensate production has maintained an upward trajectory over the past five months, increasing from 1.483 million bpd in February to 1.546 million bpd in March, 1.663 million bpd in April, 1.700 million bpd in May, and 1.735 million bpd in June, representing a 2.2% month-on-month increase.

• The commission attributed the sustained growth primarily to stable production operations across most producing assets.
• It added that the absence of major pipeline outages during the review period supported higher production levels.
• NUPRC also said improved operational stability enhanced production uptime and crude evacuation efficiency, contributing to the continued increase in combined crude oil and condensate production.

The commission noted that the operational improvements have supported higher production levels over the past four months.

Get up to speed

Nigeria has faced significant challenges in meeting its OPEC production quota in recent years due to crude oil theft, pipeline vandalism, underinvestment, and operational disruptions.

• June marked the second consecutive month that Nigeria exceeded its OPEC quota after producing 1.530 million bpd in May 2026.
• Before May, the last time the country surpassed its quota was in July 2025, when average daily production reached 1.505 million bpd, according to OPEC data.

Recent government efforts to improve pipeline security and attract upstream investments have supported production recovery.

Despite operational challenges, Nigeria has maintained its position as Africa’s leading crude oil producer.

OPEC data show that Nigeria continues to outperform several African producers, including Libya, Algeria, Congo and Gabon.

What you should know

The latest production figures come as industry stakeholders continue to assess how much further Nigeria can raise crude oil output after years of declining investment and production challenges.

• Austin Avuru, Co-Founder and Pioneer Chief Executive Officer of Platform Petroleum Limited and Seplat Energy Plc, said in April 2026 that Nigeria’s crude oil production could rise to about 2.3 million barrels per day by 2030 as investment gradually returns to the upstream sector after years of underinvestment and regulatory inefficiencies.
• More recently, ExxonMobil and its partners committed $1 billion to the Usan Infill Project, which is expected to increase Nigeria’s crude oil production by about 40,000 barrels per day.
• The Federal Government adopted a 2.6 million bpd oil production benchmark for 2026 but retained a more conservative 1.8 million bpd benchmark for budget implementation, reflecting the gap between long-term production ambitions and budget assumptions.
• Earlier this year, the NUPRC reported that Nigeria supplied 28.5 million barrels of crude oil to domestic refineries in the first quarter of 2026, significantly below the 61.9 million barrels allocated for the period.

An increase in crude oil production could support Nigeria’s fiscal position and foreign exchange earnings, as government revenue remains closely linked to production volumes and global oil prices. However, sustaining higher output will depend on continued investment, operational stability and improvements in crude evacuation infrastructure.