The United States is now exporting more crude oil to Nigeria than it imports from the country — a surprising shift in global oil trade.

This change is linked to the new Dangote refinery in Nigeria, which started operations earlier this year. The massive facility, with a capacity of 650,000 barrels per day, is currently relying heavily on U.S. oil to keep running because of a shortage of local crude.

In February and March 2025, U.S. crude exports to Nigeria hit 111,000 and 169,000 barrels per day, while oil imports from Nigeria dropped to just 54,000 and 72,000 barrels per day in the same months.

One reason the U.S. had more oil to export at the time was because a major refinery in New Jersey was undergoing maintenance, reducing domestic demand. But even now, Nigeria continues to buy large amounts of U.S. oil.

That’s because the U.S. crude — known as West Texas Intermediate (WTI) — is better for making gasoline and is easier to ship compared to other oil blends. In fact, by June, WTI made up about one-third of all the crude being used by the Dangote refinery.

Nigeria, despite being Africa’s largest oil producer, has struggled to pump enough oil and meet its OPEC targets. The government hopes to boost production from the current 1.4 million barrels per day to 2 million in the next two years.

Meanwhile, with two refineries in California set to shut down, the U.S. may have even more oil available for export. For now, it looks like Nigeria’s new refinery will continue depending on American crude until local supply improves.