By Obas Esiedesa, Abuja
Nigeria’s total oil production rose by 2.2 per cent in May, increasing to 1.70 million barrels per day (bpd), with crude oil output surpassing the country’s OPEC quota for the first time in 2026.
Data from the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission showed that combined crude oil and condensate production rose from 1.66 million bpd in April to 1.70 million bpd in May, reinforcing Nigeria’s position as Africa’s leading oil producer.
Crude oil output averaged 1.53 million bpd in May, slightly above Nigeria’s OPEC quota of 1.5 million bpd—marking the first time in 2026 that the country has met and exceeded its allocation.
The commission noted that May’s figures represent the highest combined output since July 2025, when production reached 1.71 million bpd. Crude output alone also hit a 15-month high.
Production peaked at 1.86 million bpd during the month, while the lowest daily output was 1.51 million bpd.
According to the commission, production has shown steady month-on-month growth over the past five months: 1.48 million bpd in February, 1.54 million in March, 1.66 million in April, and 1.70 million in May.
It attributed the improvement to operational stability across facilities, with no major pipeline disruptions and successful completion of scheduled maintenance activities.
Key production streams for the month included Bonny Terminal (293,870 bpd), Forcados Terminal (289,900 bpd), Qua Iboe (173,360 bpd), Escravos Oil Terminal (135,470 bpd), and Odudu (Amenam Blend) (63,250 bpd).
The commission said improved reliability across production infrastructure supported the sustained increase in output.
