Nigeria recorded its strongest oil production performance of the year in April 2026, with total liquid output rising to 1.66 million barrels per day from 1.54 million barrels per day in March, though crude production alone fell just short of the country’s 1.5 million barrel per day OPEC quota at 99 percent of the allocation.
Data released by the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission showed crude oil production increased to 1.489 million barrels per day in April from 1.383 million barrels per day in March, a rise of approximately 7.7 percent, with combined crude oil and condensate reaching 49.90 million barrels for the month compared to 47.93 million barrels in March.
The improvement was driven largely by stronger output from key export terminals including Bonny, Forcados, Bonga, Anyala-Madu, and several offshore assets. Forcados posted the strongest single-stream recovery, with total output surging approximately 42 percent from 5.18 million barrels in March to 7.35 million barrels in April. Bonny retained its position as Nigeria’s highest-producing stream with output rising to 8.85 million barrels. Qua Iboe, however, registered a 5.4 percent decline.
By April, daily output had not only recovered from the February decline but slightly exceeded the January level of 1.627 million barrels per day, suggesting a gradual and sustained improvement in the upstream sector. Industry analysts said the recovery reflected ongoing security interventions around oil infrastructure and the restoration of key evacuation channels across the Niger Delta.
Nonetheless, Nigeria’s continued inability to fully attain its OPEC allocation underscored the fragile nature of the recovery and highlighted the need for sustained investment, stronger pipeline security, and improved operational efficiency to consolidate and extend the gains recorded in recent months.
