Nigeria’s crude oil imports from america greater than doubled within the first eight months of 2025, rising 101 per cent from a 12 months earlier, based on knowledge from the U.S. Power Data Administration.
The nation imported 31.69 million barrels between February and August, up from 15.79 million barrels in the identical interval of 2024. There have been no recorded U.S. crude imports in January of both 12 months.
Month-to-month imports fluctuated however trended sharply larger by means of midyear. Nigeria introduced in 3.11 million barrels in February, down 13.8 per cent from the three.61 million barrels recorded a 12 months earlier. Imports climbed to five.25 million barrels in March, a 53.5 per cent improve from 2024, and rose 32.3 per cent in April to 2.04 million barrels. Could imports reached 3.79 million barrels, up 82.4 per cent from the earlier 12 months.
Learn Additionally: Dangote Refinery seen as catalyst for Nigeria’s pharmaceutical independence
A serious surge occurred in June, when imports jumped to 9.16 million barrels, in contrast with 1.04 million in June 2024 — a 782 per cent improve. July imports rose barely to 4.17 million barrels from 4.10 million a 12 months earlier. The company didn’t publish comparative August 2024 figures for the 4.17 million barrels reported in August 2025.
The rising consumption of U.S. crude highlights Nigeria’s dependence on overseas provide amid inconsistent home crude availability and a sluggish ramp-up in native refining. U.S. mild candy grades have change into a horny feedstock for complicated refining operations, together with the Dangote Petroleum Refinery close to Lagos.
Regardless of being Africa’s largest oil producer, Nigeria continues to depend on imported crude and refined merchandise as a result of underperforming state-owned refineries. The $20 billion Dangote plant has repeatedly turned to U.S. crude because it scales operations, whilst the federal government seeks to prioritise home provide.
The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Fee mentioned 67.66 million barrels of crude have been delivered to native refiners between January and August, together with modular vegetation and services operated by the state oil firm. Refiners had requested 123.48 million barrels for the primary half of the 12 months, leaving a shortfall of 45 per cent.
The fee mentioned allocations have been made below the Petroleum Business Act and the Home Crude Provide Obligation framework. However refinery operators have complained that producers usually want exporting crude for greenback funds, making native sourcing troublesome.
Nigeria produced 1.63 million barrels per day of crude and condensates in August, based on the regulator, although most of it was shipped overseas.
Knowledge from commodities analytics agency Kpler exhibits the Dangote refinery imported a mean of 590,000 barrels per day in July, its highest month-to-month consumption on report. U.S. crude accounted for about 370,000 barrels per day — or 60 per cent — whereas Nigerian grades provided roughly 220,000 barrels per day.
Kpler mentioned July marked the primary time U.S. crude volumes to the refinery exceeded home provide, pushed by technical preferences, pricing, and constraints in securing native barrels.
