Nigeria’s crude oil production rose to 1.505 million barrels per day (bpd) in June 2025, reaching the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries’ (OPEC) quota for the second time this year, according to OPEC’s latest Monthly Oil Market Report released Tuesday.
OPEC stated that the data was obtained directly from Nigerian authorities, one of two data collection methods the cartel uses—alongside secondary sources such as energy intelligence platforms.
The June figure represents a 3.58 percent increase over the 1.453 million bpd recorded in May and the highest monthly output reported since January.
The increase comes months after Nigeria first hit the 1.5 million bpd target in January, following an extended period of underperformance throughout 2024. OPEC had originally set Nigeria’s production quota at 1.5 million bpd during its November 2023 ministerial meeting, with the target extended through 2026 after consistent shortfalls last year.
In its June update, OPEC noted that Nigeria continues to lead crude production on the continent, ahead of Algeria, which produced 927,000 bpd. Congo followed with 251,000 bpd.
However, figures from secondary sources suggested slight variations, placing Nigeria’s June output at 1.547 million bpd—up 1.24 percent from 1.528 million bpd in May. These estimates contribute to OPEC’s total crude production figures for the month, which showed a collective increase of 349,000 bpd across member nations.
The report highlighted that output gains were also recorded in Libya, Congo, and Gabon, while declines were noted in Venezuela, the UAE, and Russia.
Meanwhile, attention continues to shift toward Nigeria’s refining capacity as OPEC pointed to the potential role of the Dangote Refinery in stabilizing the country’s petroleum product supply.
“The oil sector remains central to the economy, and the Dangote Refinery reaching full production capacity should help stabilize the petroleum product supply and possibly lower petrol prices,” the report noted.
In February, Dangote Industries Vice President Edwin Devakumar said the refinery could begin full-scale operations within 30 days, processing up to 650,000 barrels per day—more than sufficient to meet local demand.
The federal government has previously indicated its ambition to scale production to 3 million bpd by the end of 2025. Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Heineken Lokpobiri, reiterated the administration’s production targets during a policy briefing in the first quarter of the year.
OPEC and its allies (OPEC+) recently agreed to increase overall production by 548,000 bpd beginning August, a move expected to influence both supply levels and market dynamics in the second half of 2025.
