Nigeria’s crude oil and condensate output stood at 554.4 million barrels in 2025, even as average daily production rose by five per cent to 1.63 million barrels per day (mb/d), latest figures from the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) have shown.
Data contained in the NUPRC report titled “Crude Oil and Condensate Production 2025” indicated that the higher daily average represented an increase from 1.55 mb/d recorded in 2024. However, overall production for the year declined slightly by about two per cent from the 566.8 million barrels produced in the previous year.
The report attributed the improved daily output to the reopening of shut-in wells and a relatively stable security situation in the Niger Delta, which helped cushion the impact of routine maintenance shutdowns and disruptions such as the Escravos–Lagos Pipeline explosion.
A year-on-year assessment showed that Nigeria produced an average of 46.2 million barrels per month in 2025, marginally below the 47.2 million barrels monthly average recorded in 2024. This performance played out against a backdrop of volatile crude prices, with Brent opening the year at about $79 per barrel, averaging $71 per barrel, and closing at $63 per barrel.
Crude oil production alone, excluding condensate, averaged 1.42 mb/d in 2025, representing about 95 per cent compliance with Nigeria’s 1.5 mb/d OPEC quota. This marked a notable improvement over 2024, when production was more inconsistent due to widespread oil theft and pipeline sabotage.
In December 2025, output declined to 1.54 mb/d from an estimated 1.66 mb/d recorded in December 2024. Nonetheless, the higher annual daily average reflected sustained gains linked to improved security measures implemented mid-decade.
Further analysis showed that crude oil and condensate production started strongly in 2025, averaging 1.73 mb/d in both January and February, maintaining momentum through the middle of the year with a peak of 1.71 mb/d in July, before tapering to 1.54 mb/d by December. This relatively steady pattern contrasted with 2024, when production dipped sharply to 43.4 million barrels in April before recovering to 51.7 million barrels in December following intensified anti-theft operations.
The breakdown of crude oil and condensate production for 2025 showed monthly averages of 1.73 mb/d in January and February, 1.69 mb/d in March, 1.68 mb/d in April, 1.65 mb/d in May, 1.69 mb/d in June, 1.71 mb/d in July, 1.63 mb/d in August, 1.58 mb/d in September, 1.59 mb/d in October and November, and 1.54 mb/d in December.
Crude oil-only production followed a similar trend, averaging 1.53 mb/d in January, 1.46 mb/d in February, 1.40 mb/d in March, 1.48 mb/d in April, 1.45 mb/d in May, 1.50 mb/d in June and July, 1.43 mb/d in August, 1.38 mb/d in September, 1.42 mb/d in October, 1.43 mb/d in November, and 1.42 mb/d in December.
According to the report, the improved performance was largely due to a calmer operating environment in the Niger Delta, which enabled operators to restore long-idled wells and raise daily production above 2024 levels. Ongoing government interventions, including military operations under Operation Delta Safe, helped curb illegal bunkering, although isolated incidents such as the Escravos explosion temporarily disrupted supply from key export terminals.
While ageing infrastructure and delayed investments continued to pose challenges, the higher daily output positioned Nigeria more favourably in relation to its OPEC obligations and the 1.7 mb/d benchmark set in the federal budget.
