Nigeria has again failed to meet its 1.5 million barrels-per-day (bpd) crude oil production quota approved by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).
According to the National Liquid Hydrocarbon Production Report released on Tuesday by the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), the country’s average daily crude oil production stood at about 1.4 million bpd in April, representing roughly 99 per cent of its OPEC quota.
Total oil production, including condensates, however, averaged about 1.6 million bpd during the month.
The development comes despite sustained efforts by the Federal Government and industry operators to raise production to 2 million bpd in order to boost revenue, strengthen foreign exchange earnings, and support implementation of the 2026 budget.
The NUPRC report showed that Nigeria has yet to consistently meet its OPEC crude oil production target, while overall output also remained below the 1.84 million bpd benchmark adopted in the 2026 budget.
Latest figures indicate that Nigeria has now fallen short of its OPEC allocation for the ninth consecutive month since July 2025.
The report further revealed that combined crude oil and condensate production peaked at 1.85 million bpd in April, while the lowest daily output recorded during the month was 1.46 million bpd. The April performance marked a modest improvement from March, when total production stood at 1.55 million bpd.
Nigeria’s oil production has continued to face pressure from crude theft, pipeline vandalism, ageing infrastructure, and inadequate upstream investment.
Although crude output improved slightly in April, it remained below the OPEC target. Crude production in March was 1.38 million bpd — an increase of 69,000 bpd from the 1.31 million bpd recorded in February — but still 117,000 bpd short of the quota.
February production figures had reflected a sharp month-on-month decline of 146,000 bpd, widening Nigeria’s deficit against its OPEC allocation.
The country recorded a brief recovery in January 2026, when production rose from 1.422 million bpd in December 2025 to 1.46 million bpd, before dropping significantly again in February.
Earlier NUPRC data also showed that crude oil production declined from 1.436 million bpd in November 2025 to 1.422 million bpd in December, before the marginal rebound recorded in January.
In 2025, Nigeria failed to meet its OPEC production quota in nine months, surpassing or slightly exceeding the target only in January, June, and July.
The country began 2025 on a stronger note, producing 1.54 million bpd in January — about 38,700 bpd above its OPEC allocation. However, output slipped below quota in February at 1.47 million bpd and declined further to 1.40 million bpd in March.
