Nigeria imports 61.7m barrels of US Crude despite shipping millions Abroad

By: Amarachi Okonkwo 

Nigeria imported about 61.7 million barrels of crude oil from the United States between January 2024 and January 2026, highlighting a deepening reliance on foreign feedstock to sustain domestic refining, despite its status as Africa’s largest oil producer.

The trend comes even as the country exported over 300 million barrels of crude within the first 10 months of 2025 and an additional 55.39 million barrels in January and February 2026, underscoring a widening imbalance between production, exports and local supply.

Data from the US Energy Information Administration showed that crude shipments from the United States to Nigeria surged during the period, marking a sharp reversal from nearly a decade of negligible bilateral crude trade.

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Prior to 2024, US crude exports to Nigeria were virtually non-existent, with the only notable volume recorded in March 2016 at an average of 19,000 barrels per day, translating to roughly 0.59 million barrels for the year.

However, trade flows shifted significantly in 2024, coinciding with the start of operations at the Dangote Refinery. Industry analysts attribute the surge in imports largely to the refinery’s demand for consistent feedstock amid persistent domestic supply constraints.

The EIA, which reports crude flows in thousand barrels per day, indicates that Nigeria imported 15.7 million barrels of US crude between January and June 2024 alone. Imports began at 125,000 barrels per day in January (3.87 million barrels) and 110,000 bpd in February (3.19 million barrels), before dipping to 51,000 bpd in March (1.58 million barrels).

Volumes rebounded to 67,000 bpd in April (2.01 million barrels), declined to 35,000 bpd in May (1.08 million barrels), and peaked for the period in June at 132,000 bpd, equivalent to 3.96 million barrels.

Imports expanded further in 2025, which accounted for the bulk of inflows. Between February and December, Nigeria imported 41.06 million barrels of US crude. Supply peaked in June 2025 at 305,000 bpd, translating to about 9.15 million barrels for the month, the highest level recorded in the dataset. August also saw strong inflows at 201,000 bpd (6.23 million barrels).

However, imports slowed sharply towards year-end, dropping to 12,000 bpd in November (0.36 million barrels) before edging up to 23,000 bpd (0.71 million barrels) in December.

For January 2026, imports rebounded to 159,000 bpd, amounting to 4.93 million barrels.

Cumulatively, total imports from 2024 through January 2026 stood at 61.685 million barrels, rounded up to 61.7 million barrels.

Export Strength, Domestic Weakness

The import surge contrasts sharply with Nigeria’s strong export performance. Data from the Central Bank of Nigeria shows the country exported an estimated 306.7 million barrels of crude between January and October 2025 out of total production of 443.5 million barrels, representing about 69 per cent of output.

This left roughly 137 million barrels available for domestic refining over the period.

A similar pattern persisted into 2026. In the first two months of the year, Nigeria produced 81.94 million barrels of crude but exported 55.39 million barrels—31.31 million barrels in January and 24.08 million barrels in February.

This left just 26.55 million barrels for local refineries, intensifying feedstock shortages across the sector.

Refining Shift Deepens Structural Gaps

For decades, Nigeria depended heavily on imported refined petroleum products due to limited domestic refining capacity. However, the operational launch of the Dangote refinery in 2024 marked a structural shift, with the country increasingly importing crude oil for local processing rather than finished fuels.

Africa’s richest industrialist, Aliko Dangote, has previously noted that US crude imports were necessary to bridge the gap between domestic supply and the refinery’s processing needs.

The Dangote facility, one of the world’s largest single-train refineries, requires over 19 million barrels of crude monthly to operate optimally, far exceeding the volumes currently allocated to domestic processors.

Industry sources indicate that the refinery has also sourced crude from Ghana and other African producers to maintain operations, even as Nigeria continues to export large volumes to international markets.

Meanwhile, the Crude Oil Refiners Association of Nigeria has warned that several modular refineries have faced intermittent shutdowns due to inadequate crude supply.

Policy and Market Implications

The growing reliance on imported crude exposes structural inefficiencies in Nigeria’s oil sector, particularly in crude allocation, logistics and supply chain coordination.

Analysts say the situation reflects a longstanding mismatch between upstream production and downstream needs, compounded by contractual export obligations, infrastructure constraints and pricing dynamics that favour exports over domestic sales.

While initiatives such as the naira-for-crude arrangement were designed to improve local supply, persistent shortages suggest deeper reforms may be required to prioritise domestic refining without undermining export revenues.

The paradox of exporting crude while importing it for local use continues to define Nigeria’s evolving energy landscape, raising critical questions about energy security, industrial policy and long-term economic strategy.