By Nchetachi Chukwuajah
Nigeria shipped 33.23 million barrels of crude oil, valued at $2.57 billion, to the United States of America (USA) between January and August.
This means that the country emerged as the leading African exporter of crude oil to the United States in the first eight months of 2025, according to the US Mission in Nigeria.
The Mission disclosed this in a statement posted on its official X on Tuesday, December 23, noting that Nigeria accounted for more than half of all African crude oil exports to the United States during the period.
The statement read: “#DidYouKnow that Nigeria was the leading African exporter of crude oil to the United States between January and August 2025, shipping 33.23 million barrels worth $2.57 billion? That’s more than half of all African crude oil exports to the United States during that period.”
It added that the strong trade ties between Nigeria and the United States “create jobs and drive prosperity on both sides of the Atlantic.”
According to the latest data from the US Energy Information Administration, Nigeria’s crude oil imports from the United States rose by 153 per cent in the first nine months of 2025.
Recall that the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) recently disclosed that crude oil accounted for 56.14 per cent of Nigeria’s total exports in the third quarter (Q3) of 2025.
The NBS, in its latest Foreign Trade in Goods Statistics, said the country generated N12.81 trillion from crude oil exports during the period, indicating a recovery in oil export earnings within the period.
The report showed that while crude oil export value fell by 4.47 per cent year-on-year from the N13.41 trillion recorded in Q3 2024, it rose by 7.03 per cent compared to the N11.97 trillion earned in Q2 2025.
It further stated that mineral products exports, largely driven by crude oil and petroleum gases, were valued at N20.01 trillion, representing 87.71 per cent of total exports in Q3 2025.
The NBS noted that other oil-related exports stood at N7.01 trillion, in addition to crude oil earnings of N12.81 trillion.
