Nigeria Imports 61.7M Barrels of U.S. Crude Oil

Nigeria has imported a total of 61.7 million barrels of crude oil from the United States between January 2024 and January 2026, underscoring the country's growing reliance on foreign feedstock to support domestic refining operations. Despite exporting 306.7 million barrels of crude oil from January to October 2025, Nigeria struggles to supply enough feedstock for its domestic refineries.

The U.S. Energy Information Administration reported that Nigeria's imports included 15.701 million barrels in the first half of 2024, with a peak of 305,000 barrels per day in June 2025.

The shift in trade patterns coincides with the commencement of operations at the Dangote refinery, which requires substantial daily feedstock to operate at optimal capacity. The Dangote refinery, the world's largest single-train refinery, is expected to bridge the gap in domestic crude supply.

Nigeria's crude oil imports are projected to continue growing, reflecting the paradox of being a major oil exporter while relying heavily on imports for refined petroleum products.