Nigeria’s crude oil production increased to a two-month high in April as the country produced 1.486 million barrels per day (bpd), according to data released by the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC).
The figure marks a modest recovery for Africa’s largest oil producer but remains slightly below the country’s official quota of 1.5 million bpd set by the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).
The April output represents a 6.06 percent rise from March’s production of 1.401 million bpd and the highest recorded since February when production stood at 1.465 million bpd.
Despite the improvement, NUPRC confirmed that the April production volume met 99 percent of the country’s OPEC quota.
When combined with condensates—hydrocarbon liquids not included in OPEC’s quota framework—Nigeria’s total oil output for April rose to 1.683 million bpd.
The condensate portion accounted for 197,607 bpd while crude oil contributed 1,485,700 bpd.
The report showed that daily production during April fluctuated between 1.60 million bpd and 1.73 million bpd in line with the relatively stable production environment despite ongoing operational and security challenges in some oil-producing regions.
Output peaked at 1.539 million bpd in January, dropped to 1.465 million bpd in February, further declined in March and then rebounded in April.
The recent uptick is in line with efforts by the federal government and regulators to stabilize and grow the upstream sector through enhanced monitoring and asset recovery initiatives.
Earlier this year, Olu Verheijen, Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Energy, stated that Nigeria has set a combined crude and condensate production target of 2.7 million bpd by 2027.
“The OPEC quota does not include condensate. The target we’ve set for ourselves is a combination of condensate and crude,” Verheijen clarified, reinforcing the administration’s broader production strategy.
OPEC, which continues to monitor compliance among member countries, has not indicated any changes to Nigeria’s quota but maintains its oversight role to ensure market stability.
With crude production showing early signs of recovery, analysts anticipate that Nigeria’s ability to meet or exceed OPEC benchmarks in the coming months will depend on continued investment in infrastructure, resolution of crude theft and improved operational efficiency across joint venture and independent assets.
