Precious Anga
Lagos — Nigeria has once again failed to meet its crude oil production quota allocated by the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), extending a worrying trend that continues to raise concerns over the country’s ability to stabilise output and maximise oil revenue.
Fresh figures released by the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) showed that Nigeria produced an average of 1.49 million barrels of crude oil per day in April 2026, falling slightly below the 1.5 million barrels per day quota approved by OPEC.
The latest performance means Nigeria has now missed its production target for nine consecutive months since July 2025, despite repeated government assurances that output levels were improving.
According to the NUPRC data, average daily crude oil production stood at 1,488,540 barrels in April, representing roughly 99 per cent compliance with the OPEC quota. When condensates were added, total oil production increased to about 1.66 million barrels per day.
The figures, however, contradict earlier claims by the NUPRC that Nigeria’s oil production had risen to an average of 1.8 million barrels per day.
Data from the commission showed that combined crude oil and condensate production peaked at 1.85 million barrels per day during the month, while the lowest production level dropped to 1.46 million barrels per day.
Although April production reflected a modest improvement from March levels, Nigeria still remained below its OPEC target, highlighting the deep-rooted challenges slowing the country’s oil sector recovery.
Industry analysts say persistent crude oil theft, pipeline vandalism, ageing infrastructure and years of underinvestment in upstream operations continue to weaken Nigeria’s production capacity.
The April output was slightly higher than the 1.38 million barrels per day recorded in March and the 1.31 million barrels per day posted in February. Despite the increase, production still remained significantly below OPEC expectations.
Earlier figures had shown that Nigeria’s production dropped sharply in February 2026, widening the country’s shortfall from its allocated quota and marking one of the weakest performances in recent months.
Even the slight rebound recorded in January 2026, when production rose from 1.42 million barrels per day in December 2025 to 1.46 million barrels per day, was not enough to sustain momentum.
Nigeria’s oil production has remained unstable for years, affecting government revenue, foreign exchange earnings and budget implementation in an economy still heavily dependent on crude exports.
In 2025 alone, the country failed to meet its OPEC quota in nine months, only managing to slightly exceed the target in January, June and July.
The development comes at a critical time when the Federal Government is banking on improved crude production to support fiscal stability, boost dollar inflows and strengthen Nigeria’s struggling economy amid rising debt obligations and mounting pressure on the naira.
