Nigeria remained Africa’s leading crude oil supplier to the United States in 2025, accounting for about 52 per cent of the continent’s total exports to the American market, even as overall shipment volumes declined.
Data released by the US Census Bureau show that total US crude oil imports from Africa dropped to about 89.37 million barrels in 2025, compared with 103.63 million barrels recorded in 2024. The decline reflects a broader slowdown in African crude supply to the US market.
Within this reduced total, Nigeria exported roughly 46.62 million barrels of crude oil to the United States in 2025. This was lower than the 50.79 million barrels supplied in the previous year. However, Nigeria’s share of Africa’s total exports increased, rising from about 49 per cent in 2024 to just over 52 per cent in 2025, as other African producers recorded sharper drops in supply.
In monetary terms, Africa’s crude oil exports to the US also weakened significantly. The continent’s total cost, insurance, and freight (CIF) value fell from about $8.95 billion in 2024 to $6.82 billion in 2025. Nigeria’s CIF value declined as well, dropping from roughly $4.46 billion to $3.55 billion during the same period. Despite the fall in value, Nigeria still accounted for around 52 per cent of Africa’s total crude oil export earnings from the US market.
Customs values, which exclude freight and insurance costs and reflect the price of crude at the point of export, showed a similar trend. Africa’s overall customs value dropped by more than $2.1 billion year on year, while Nigeria’s fell by about $914 million. Analysts noted that the relatively stable gap between customs and CIF values suggests that logistics costs did not significantly alter trade outcomes.
A breakdown of exports from other African countries highlights why Nigeria’s market share increased. Angola saw its crude exports to the US fall sharply, while Ghana also recorded a major decline. Libya was the only major African supplier to post a slight increase in export volumes during the year.
The trade pattern emerged amid changing US trade policies under President Donald Trump, including tariff adjustments that affected several countries. While crude oil exports were largely exempt from higher tariffs, non-oil Nigerian exports faced increased duties, contributing to uncertainty among US importers.
Commenting on the situation, economist Muda Yusuf, Chief Executive Officer of the Centre for the Promotion of Private Enterprise, said Nigeria’s trade exposure to the US remains limited. He explained that Nigeria’s exports to the US are heavily concentrated in crude oil and a few other commodities, making the overall trade relationship narrow.
Yusuf added that beyond tariffs, US visa restrictions pose a bigger long-term challenge to trade and investment relations, as travel barriers can limit business engagement and investment inflows more than tariff policies.
Overall, the 2025 figures show that Nigeria strengthened its dominance in Africa’s crude oil trade with the United States, not through higher exports, but because competing suppliers experienced deeper declines.
