The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) has reported a decline in Nigeria’s average daily crude oil production, which fell to 1.46 million barrels per day (bpd) in February.
This decrease marks a 4.8 percent drop from the 1.53 million bpd recorded in January, according to OPEC’s latest monthly market report released on Wednesday.
The data, sourced directly from Nigerian authorities, highlights the first month-on-month production decline of 2025. OPEC uses two primary sources for crude oil production data: direct communication from member countries and secondary data from energy intelligence platforms. According to the report, secondary sources estimate Nigeria’s February production at 1.56 million bpd, which represents a 2.2 percent increase compared to January’s 1.52 million bpd.
Despite the decline in direct production data, Nigeria continues to hold the title of Africa’s largest oil producer, with Algeria coming in second, producing 912,000 bpd.
In the broader context of OPEC’s output, the cartel’s total crude oil production from the 12 member countries averaged 41.01 million bpd in February, an increase of 363,000 bpd month-on-month. OPEC noted that crude oil production in Nigeria, Iraq, and Iran increased, while Gabon and Congo experienced declines.
The report also highlighted the performance of non-OPEC producers, with crude oil output from the non-OPEC DoC averaging 14.15 million bpd in February. This marked a decrease of 2.08 million bpd compared to the previous month, largely due to reductions in production from Mexico, Malaysia, and Russia. On the other hand, Kazakhstan’s production increased.
Looking ahead, OPEC and its allies (OPEC+) have agreed to raise oil production in April, signaling adjustments in response to market conditions.
