Nigeria earned an average of N55.5tn from crude oil sales in 2025, an analysis of official production figures released by the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission and crude price data published by the Central Bank of Nigeria has shown.
The 2025 figure is higher when compared to the N50.88tn earned in 2024.
NUPRC data indicate that Nigeria produced a total of 530.41 million barrels of crude oil between January and December 2025, with output fluctuating throughout the year amid outages, operational disruptions, and a gradual recovery in some producing fields.
The N55.5tn was obtained by multiplying 530.41 million barrels by the average crude oil price of $72.08 in 2025, and converting the result with N1,450 to a dollar.
Crude oil production opened the year strongly at 47.70 million barrels in January, before falling to 41.02 million barrels in February. Output recovered modestly in March to 43.42 million barrels and rose further in April to 44.57 million barrels. Production remained relatively stable through the second quarter, increasing slightly to 45.04 million barrels in May and 45.16 million barrels in June.
In the third quarter, crude output climbed to 46.73 million barrels in July, but dipped again in August to 44.47 million barrels and fell further in September to 41.69 million barrels, one of the lowest levels recorded during the year. Production rebounded in the final quarter, reaching 43.44 million barrels in October, 43.08 million barrels in November, and 44.08 million barrels in December, according to the NUPRC.
While output remained below Nigeria’s OPEC quota for most of the year, crude oil prices helped support revenue. Data from the CBN show that Bonny Light, Nigeria’s flagship crude grade, traded at elevated levels in the early part of the year before easing in the second quarter.
Bonny Light crude sold at an average of $80.76 per barrel in January 2025, before declining to $77.08 in February and $74.44 in March. Prices dropped further in April to $69.07 and reached a low of $65.90 in May, reflecting softer global oil market conditions.
Prices recovered in June to $73.50 and remained largely stable in the third quarter, averaging $73.18 in July, $70.55 in August, and $70.20 in September, before falling again to $66.15 in October, the latest month for which CBN data were available.
Using the simple average of the 10 monthly Bonny Light prices published by the CBN, crude prices averaged $72.08 per barrel over the period under review.
Applying this average price to Nigeria’s total crude oil production of 530.41 million barrels, estimated gross crude oil revenue for 2025 stood at approximately $38.23bn. Converted at an exchange rate of N1,450 to the dollar, this translates to about N55.5tn in crude oil earnings for the year.
Industry analysts noted that the figure represents gross revenue, not actual government receipts, as it does not account for production costs, joint venture cash calls, production-sharing contract cost recovery, oil theft, domestic crude supply obligations, or deferred liftings.
Nonetheless, the analysis provides a clear picture of the scale of crude oil inflows generated during the year, based strictly on official production data from the NUPRC and price benchmarks from the CBN, highlighting the continued importance of both output stability and price performance to Nigeria’s oil-dependent economy.
It should be noted that the N55tn was the amount expected to have been generated by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, the international oil companies, and their indigenous counterparts for the sale of crude produced in Nigeria.
In 2024, it was noted that Nigeria produced 408.68 million barrels of crude oil, generating approximately N50.88tn.
The government-owned Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited serviced part of its $3bn forward-sale loan from the African Export-Import Bank with crude oil worth N991bn in 2024.
According to its 2024 financial statement report, the repayment was tied to Project Gazelle, a forward crude oil supply agreement signed in 2023.
On August 17, 2023, the NNPC announced it had secured a $3.3bn emergency loan to repay crude oil obligations from Afreximbank. It explained that the loan would be used by the oil company to support the Federal Government in stabilising Nigeria’s exchange rate.
Under the deal, NNPC committed to deliver 90,000 barrels of crude oil per day from Production Sharing Contract assets to back a funding facility. According to the 2023 financial statement, a drawdown of $2.25bn had already been achieved by 31st December 2023, with principal repayment scheduled to begin in June 2024.
The funding carried an interest rate of 3-month LIBOR plus 6.5 per cent, with a 6 per cent margin and 0.5 per cent liquidity premium. According to the financial statement, the drawdown on the facility had reached N4.9tn out of a total available N5.1tn, while N991bn worth of crude oil had been lifted in repayment, leaving an outstanding balance of N3.8tn at the end of 2024.
It could not be ascertained yet how much crude the NNPC committed to the repayment of the N3.8tn outstanding loan in the whole of 2025.
It was reported that Nigeria’s crude oil output dipped in December 2025 by 14,000 barrels per day, defying government efforts to ramp up production.
According to data from NUPRC, instead of rising to meet the 1.5 million barrels per day quota set for Nigeria by the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, crude oil production fell from 1.436 mbpd in November to 1.422 mbpd in December, representing 95 per cent of the OPEC quota.
The data show that in 2025, Nigeria’s crude oil production fell below its OPEC quota in nine months of the year, meeting or slightly exceeding the target only in January, June, and July. A review of the average daily crude oil output indicates that Nigeria opened the year strongly, producing 1.54 mbpd in January, about 38,700 bpd above its OPEC allocation.
Output, however, dipped below the quota in February at 1.47 mbpd and weakened further in March, when production averaged 1.40 mbpd, representing one of the widest shortfalls of the year.
Although output recovered modestly in April (1.49 mbpd) and May (1.45 mbpd), Nigeria remained under its OPEC ceiling until June, when crude production edged up to 1.51 mbpd, marginally exceeding the quota.
