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Crude oil output rises to 1.53m bpd in September
Nigeria has sustained compliance with its Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) crude oil production quota for the fifth consecutive month, as output rose to 1.53 million barrels per day (bpd) in September 2026.
The latest OPEC monthly oil market report and data from the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) showed that the September output represented a two per cent increase from the 1.50 million bpd recorded in August.
The production level also exceeded Nigeria's OPEC quota of 1.5 million bpd by two per cent, excluding condensates, reinforcing the country's position as Africa's leading crude oil producer.
Nigeria maintained its lead over Libya, which produced 1.39 million bpd, and Algeria, with an average output of 1.01 million bpd during the period.
Production figures showed that Nigeria recorded 1.53 million bpd in May, 1.55 million bpd in June, 1.51 million bpd in July, 1.50 million bpd in August and 1.53 million bpd in September.
The performance reflects an improvement in the country's crude oil production over the past two years. Nigeria averaged 1.345 million bpd in 2024 and 1.432 million bpd in 2025.
In the third quarter of 2026, crude oil production averaged 1.512 million bpd, slightly below the 1.525 million bpd recorded in the second quarter but significantly higher than the first-quarter average of 1.388 million bpd.
Beyond crude oil, Nigeria's combined crude oil and condensate production also recorded an increase in September.
NUPRC data showed that combined output rose by 2.34 per cent to 1,717,030 bpd in September from 1,677,770 bpd in August, with condensates contributing approximately 190,000 bpd.
Daily combined production peaked at 1.84 million barrels during the month, while the lowest daily output stood at 1.68 million barrels.
The Forcados Terminal recorded the highest evacuation volume, averaging 320,320 bpd, followed by the Bonny Terminal, which accounted for 303,270 bpd.
The NUPRC attributed the improved performance to stable operations across most producing assets and the absence of major pipeline disruptions during the period.
It said the development reflected the commitment of operators and other industry stakeholders to improving operational efficiency, maintaining asset integrity and strengthening production reliability across the upstream petroleum sector.
The gains come amid Federal Government efforts to tackle persistent challenges in the industry, including crude oil theft and operational inefficiencies.
On October 10, Finance Minister Taiwo Oyedele said the government had taken strategic measures to increase production, including renegotiating certain commitments to free up additional crude oil volumes.
Sustaining the growth in production remains important to Nigeria's economy, given the country's dependence on crude oil revenues to finance its national budget and generate foreign exchange.
However, the domestic improvement comes against the backdrop of changing global market conditions, with OPEC lowering its forecast for global oil demand growth in 2026 amid weaker-than-expected demand.
The development highlights the need for Nigeria to sustain production gains, improve operational efficiency and maximise oil revenues while complying with its international production commitments.
