Despite Exporting Over 300m Barrels, Nigeria Imported 61.7m Barrels of US Crude

Nigeria imported 61.7 million barrels of US crude between January 2024 and January 2026 despite exporting over 300 million barrels in the first ten months of 2025 and 55.4 million barrels in early 2026. The surge began with the Dangote refinery’s launch in 2024. It became the main buyer of American crude to fill domestic supply gaps. Before then, US shipments to Nigeria were almost non-existent. Data from a US energy agency show imports peaking at 305,000 barrels per day in June 2025. They fell to just 12,000 bpd by November 2025 before rising to 159,000 bpd in January 2026. The figures highlight a paradox in Nigeria’s oil sector. The country ships out large crude volumes yet still struggles to feed its refineries.

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