Nigeria’s crude oil production climbed to an average of 1.56 million barrels per day (bpd) in June 2026, its highest monthly output in more than six years, as the country exceeded its production quota set by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).
The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) disclosed the figures in a statement on Sunday, noting that Nigeria produced 104 per cent of its 1.5 million bpd OPEC quota during the month.
Including condensates, the country’s average daily oil production rose to 1.735 million barrels, extending a four-month streak of production growth.
According to the NUPRC, Nigeria’s June production comprised 1.56 million bpd of crude oil and about 180,000 bpd of condensates.
The commission described the crude oil output as the country’s highest since April 2020, representing a 74-month high. “Nigeria meets 104 per cent of OPEC quota as production soars. Crude oil production rises to a 74-month high,” the commission said.
The NUPRC added that daily combined production peaked at 1.89 million bpd during the month, while the lowest daily output stood at 1.57 million bpd, indicating that production is gradually moving closer to the 2 million bpd mark.
The commission said Nigeria’s oil output has maintained steady growth over the past four months.
Combined crude oil and condensate production increased from:
- 1.483 million bpd in February
- 1.546 million bpd in March
- 1.663 million bpd in April
- 1.700 million bpd in May
- 1.735 million bpd in June
The June figure represents a 2.2 per cent month-on-month increase.
NUPRC attributed the sustained growth to improved operational stability across producing assets, fewer pipeline disruptions and more efficient crude evacuation.
The commission said the absence of major pipeline outages during the review period helped sustain higher production levels.
Nigeria has struggled for years to meet its OPEC production quota due to crude oil theft, pipeline vandalism, underinvestment and operational disruptions.
June marked the second consecutive month the country exceeded its OPEC target, following average crude production of 1.53 million bpd in May.
Before then, Nigeria last surpassed its quota in July 2025, when production averaged 1.505 million bpd.
Recent efforts by the Federal Government to improve pipeline security, curb crude theft and encourage upstream investment have contributed to the recovery in production.
Nigeria also remains Africa’s largest crude oil producer, ahead of countries including Libya, Algeria, Congo and Gabon.
The latest figures come as industry stakeholders assess Nigeria’s ability to sustain higher production levels after years of declining investment.
Industry veteran Austin Avuru, Co-founder of Platform Petroleum and Seplat Energy, recently projected that Nigeria could increase crude oil production to 2.3 million bpd by 2030 as investment gradually returns to the upstream sector.
Meanwhile, ExxonMobil and its partners have committed $1 billion to the Usan Infill Project, which is expected to add about 40,000 bpd to Nigeria’s production capacity.
Although the Federal Government has set an ambitious production target of 2.6 million bpd for 2026, it adopted a more conservative benchmark of 1.8 million bpd for budget implementation, reflecting the uncertainty surrounding production growth.
Higher crude oil output could significantly strengthen Nigeria’s fiscal position and foreign exchange earnings, given the country’s heavy dependence on oil revenue. However, sustaining the recent gains will require continued investment, improved security around oil infrastructure and enhanced crude evacuation capacity.
