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Nigeria has again failed to meet its 1.5 million bpd crude oil production quota approved by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).
In its National Liquid Hydrocarbon Production Report released on Tuesday, the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) disclosed that average daily crude oil production hovered around 1.4 million bpd, representing about 99 per cent of the OPEC quota.
In contrast, total production, including condensates, stood at about 1.6 million bpd in April.
The development comes amid sustained efforts by the Federal Government and industry operators to ramp up production to 2 million bpd to boost revenue, strengthen foreign exchange earnings, and support the implementation of the 2026 budget.
The report indicated that Nigeria has yet to consistently meet its OPEC quota for crude oil production, while total output also remained below the 1.84 million bpd benchmark adopted in the 2026 budget.
The latest data mean Nigeria remained below its OPEC allocation for the ninth straight month since July 2025.
The NUPRC document showed that combined crude oil and condensate production peaked at 1.85 mbpd during the month, while the lowest output stood at 1.46 mbpd. The April figures are an appreciable improvement compared to March, when oil output was 1.55mbpd.
The country’s oil production has struggled for years due to crude theft, pipeline vandalism, ageing infrastructure, and underinvestment in the upstream sector.
Although output improved marginally in April compared to March, it was still insufficient to meet the country’s OPEC target.
Nigeria’s crude production in March was 1.38 mbpd.
While there was a 69,000 bpd increase from the 1.31 mbpd recorded in February, the figure is still 117,000 bpd below the OPEC quota.
The figures for February indicated a month-on-month decline of 146,000 barrels per day, widening the country’s shortfall from its OPEC production allocation.
Nigeria recorded a marginal improvement in January, when production rose from 1.422 mbpd in December 2025 to 1.46 mbpd. The rebound was short-lived as output fell significantly in February 2026.
Earlier data from NUPRC had also shown that crude oil production weakened from 1.436 mbpd in November 2025 to 1.422 mbpd in December, before recovering slightly in January.
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.
Nigeria opened 2025 strongly, producing 1.54 mbpd in January, about 38,700 barrels per day above its OPEC allocation.
However, production slipped below the quota in February at 1.47 mbpd and weakened further in March to 1.40 mbpd.
