Nigeria remains top African crude supplier to US with 46.6m barrels

Nigeria supplied 46.618 million barrels of crude oil to the United States in 2025, representing 52.2% of Africa’s total crude exports to the US, according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau.

Total US crude imports from Africa stood at 89.371 million barrels in 2025, down from 103.631 million barrels in 2024. This reflects a year-on-year decline of 14.260 million barrels or 13.8%.

Nigeria’s export volume dropped from 50.793 million barrels in 2024 to 46.618 million barrels in 2025, a reduction of 4.175 million barrels or 8.2%.

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Despite the lower volume, Nigeria’s share rose from 49.0% in 2024 to 52.2% in 2025, largely because competing African suppliers recorded steeper declines.

**What the data also shows **

In value terms, Africa’s crude exports to the US recorded a sharper contraction than volumes.

Africa’s C.I.F. value fell from $8.945 billion in 2024 to $6.816 billion in 2025, representing a decline of $2.129 billion or 23.8%.

• Nigeria’s C.I.F. value dropped from $4.458 billion in 2024 to $3.545 billion in 2025, translating to a reduction of $0.913 billion or 20.5%.
• Nigeria’s share of Africa’s total C.I.F. value edged up to 52.0% in 2025 from 49.8% in 2024.
• Customs values, which exclude freight and insurance and reflect the transaction price at export, followed the same pattern. Africa’s customs value declined from $8.767 billion in 2024 to $6.653 billion in 2025, a drop of $2.114 billion or 24.1%.
• Nigeria’s customs value fell from $4.365 billion in 2024 to $3.451 billion in 2025, a decrease of $0.914 billion or 20.9%.

The relatively stable gap between customs and C.I.F. values in both years suggests logistics costs did not materially distort the trend. The decline was primarily driven by weaker volumes and softer pricing.

Among other African exporters, Angola’s crude shipments fell sharply from 18.497 million barrels in 2024 to 8.891 million barrels in 2025, while Ghana’s exports declined from 9.019 million barrels to 3.804 million barrels. Libya was the only major supplier to record an increase, rising from 16.993 million barrels in 2024 to 17.761 million barrels in 2025.

Overall, Nigeria strengthened its relative position in the US crude market in 2025, not through expansion, but by declining at a slower pace than its continental peers.

What this means

Nigeria’s 52.2% share of Africa’s crude exports to the US in 2025 signals stronger relative positioning, but not growth.

• The country exported 4.175 million fewer barrels year on year and earned $0.913 billion less in C.I.F. value, meaning dominance came within a shrinking market rather than through expanded demand.
• Also, the relatively stable gap between customs value and C.I.F. value also suggests that freight and insurance costs were not the main pressure point. In practical terms, revenue vulnerability remains tied more to market fundamentals than logistics costs.
• For Nigeria’s broader oil strategy, the data underline the limits of relying on market share alone.

Controlling 52.2% of Africa’s exports to the US matters symbolically, but absolute earnings are what sustain fiscal buffers, FX inflows, and budget stability.

A larger slice of a smaller pie still means less oil revenue overall.