Victor EzejaNigeria has indeed exceeded its OPEC oil production quota of 1.5 million barrels per day for the third time in 2025, according to recent reports.
The first was in January and the second in June.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelOPEC’s latest Monthly Oil Market Report, released on Tuesday, says Nigeria’s crude oil production averaged 1.507 million barrels per day (bpd) in July 2025, slightly above the quota.
The latest figure shows a marginal increase from 1.505 million bpd recorded in June, reflecting sustained recovery efforts.
With this, Nigeria maintains its position as Africa’s leading oil producer, ahead of Algeria, which produced 937,000 bpd over the same period.
The figures, according to the report, were derived from direct conversations with Nigerian authorities.
Two primary sources of output data are compiled by OPEC: official submissions from member states and independent evaluations by international energy intelligence organizations.
NUPRC Reports Higher Peak Production
The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) reported higher figures last week, claiming a peak production of 1.8 million bpd in July, with an average of 1.78 million bpd.
This discrepancy with OPEC’s data may stem from differing reporting methods (direct communication vs. secondary sources) or inclusion of condensates, which are not part of OPEC’s quota.
As the authorities continue to enhance operations through improving security in the Niger Delta to curb sabotage and theft, which had previously caused crude oil losses, GCEO of NNPCL Bayo Ojulari, revealed plans to increase production to 2 million bpd before the year ends and long-term goals to reach 3 million bpd by 2027.
OPEC+ collectively raised output by 335,000 bpd in July, with Saudi Arabia leading the increase 19.
The overproduction coincides with OPEC+’s phased restoration of 2.2 million bpd of voluntary cuts, ending in September 2025
Victor Ezeja is a passionate journalist with seven years of experience writing on economy, politics and energy. He holds a Master's degree in Mass Communication.
