Nigeria exceeded its the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC)
target in May 2026, pumping 1.70mbpd – the highest in 11 months.

At 102% of the 1.5mbpd quota, the output keeps Nigeria above as Africa’s largest crude producer.

During the review period, production performance remained robust, with combined crude oil and condensate output ranging between a low of 1.51 million bpd and a peak of 1.86 million bpd.

The May 2026 production figures represent the highest recorded by Nigeria since July 2025 when output surged to 1,712,282, according to the data supplied by the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission.

The data quoted that the 1.53 million barrels recorded in May 2026 represents the highest Nigeria has witnessed since January 2025 when crude oil production hit 1.538mbpd.

The current crude oil production statistics thus represents a 15-month high on a month on month basis, production rose by 2.77% in May 2026 as against 1.48mbpd in April.

The broader production trend over the last five months has also remained positive. Combined crude oil and condensate output increased from 1.48 million bpd in February to 1.54 million bpd in March, 1.66 million bpd in April, and then 1.7 million bpd in May.

Bonny Terminal led Nigeria’s May 2026 output with 293,870bpd. Forcados followed closely at 289,900bpd. Qua Iboe ranked third with 173,360bpd, while Escravos contributed 135,470bpd.

Odudu (Amenam Blend) completed the top five production streams, accounting for 63,250 bpd during the month in view.

NUPRC attributed the production rise to stable operations with no major pipeline or facility outages in May 2026.

It also noted that all scheduled turnaround maintenance had been completed, boosting reliability and output efficiency.