Nigeria significantly increased its crude oil imports from the United States in 2025, purchasing 42.13 million barrels in the first 10 months of the year, according to data from the United States Energy Information Administration (EIA).
The volume represents a sharp year-on-year rise of about 26.34 million barrels compared with the 15.79 million barrels imported during the same period in 2024. In percentage terms, Nigeria’s crude imports from the US surged by roughly 167 per cent, highlighting a major shift in the country’s crude sourcing pattern.
Analysts say the jump reflects rising domestic demand for refinery feedstock and persistent structural challenges in Nigeria’s crude supply chain, despite the country being Africa’s largest oil producer.
In 2024, Nigeria’s imports from the US were relatively low and inconsistent, with monthly volumes mostly below four million barrels. Imports dipped sharply in June 2024 to just 1.04 million barrels, underscoring the volatility of supply during the year.
By contrast, 2025 recorded stronger and more stable inflows. While there were no recorded imports in January, volumes picked up in February at 3.11 million barrels, slightly below the 3.61 million barrels imported in February 2024. The trend quickly strengthened from March, when imports rose to 5.25 million barrels—nearly 1.83 million barrels higher than the same month in 2024.
Although April imports eased to 2.04 million barrels, they still exceeded April 2024 levels. May also saw an increase, with imports reaching 3.79 million barrels, about 1.71 million barrels more than the previous year.
The most notable surge came in June 2025, when Nigeria imported 9.16 million barrels of US crude—almost nine times the June 2024 volume. This single month accounted for over one-fifth of total US crude imports for the year so far and marked a turning point in demand.
Imports remained elevated in the following months, standing at 4.17 million barrels in July and rising further to 6.24 million barrels in August. September and October each recorded steady inflows of 4.19 million barrels, indicating sustained demand toward the end of the period.
Overall, Nigeria’s 2025 import profile shows higher volumes and greater consistency compared with the more erratic pattern seen in 2024.
Industry watchers link the surge largely to the ramp-up of refinery operations, particularly at the Dangote Petroleum Refinery, which favours US light sweet crude for its compatibility with complex refining processes. However, the growing dependence on imported crude highlights a long-standing paradox in Nigeria’s oil sector.
Despite being a major crude producer and OPEC member, Nigeria has historically exported most of its crude while importing refined petroleum products due to weak domestic refining capacity. The Dangote refinery was expected to reverse this trend by relying mainly on local crude, but current data suggest it is still heavily dependent on foreign supply to optimise operations.
Meanwhile, the Federal Government disclosed that 67.66 million barrels of crude oil were supplied to local refineries between January and August 2025. The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) said the deliveries were made in line with the Petroleum Industry Act and the Domestic Crude Supply Obligation policy.
According to the commission, the crude was supplied to modular, state-owned, and privately owned refineries, including Waltersmith, Aradel Energy, and facilities operated by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited.
However, the volumes supplied fell far short of demand. Local refiners reportedly requested about 123.48 million barrels for the first half of 2025 but received roughly 45 per cent less than required.
Although Nigeria’s crude and condensate production rose to about 1.63 million barrels per day in August, much of the output continued to be exported. Refinery operators have repeatedly complained of difficulties accessing local crude, alleging that producers prefer selling to international buyers who pay in dollars.
Data from commodities analytics firm Kpler show that the Dangote refinery has increasingly relied on US crude to bridge supply gaps. In July, the refinery processed a record 590,000 barrels per day, with US crude accounting for about 60 per cent of total intake, while Nigerian grades made up the remaining 40 per cent.
Kpler noted that this was the first time US crude overtook Nigerian supply at the refinery, reflecting ongoing domestic sourcing challenges despite government efforts to prioritise local refining.
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