Nigeria has once again fallen short of its crude oil production target set by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, continuing a prolonged period of underperformance in the oil sector.

Fresh data released by the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission shows that the country produced an average of about 1.49 million barrels of crude oil per day in April 2026. This is slightly below its OPEC quota of 1.5 million barrels per day.

When condensates are included, total production rose to around 1.66 million barrels per day, showing that overall output was stronger even though crude oil alone still missed the target.

During the month, production levels were not steady, with output peaking at about 1.85 million barrels per day while dropping to around 1.46 million barrels per day at its lowest point.

Although there was a small improvement compared to March, Nigeria still failed to cross its quota for the month. This marks the ninth consecutive month the country has remained below its OPEC production allocation.

Industry challenges such as crude theft, pipeline damage, ageing infrastructure, and slow investment in the upstream sector continue to affect Nigeria’s ability to consistently boost output.

Despite occasional monthly gains, the overall trend suggests that production levels remain unstable, making it difficult for the country to meet its international oil production commitments.