The United States sharply reduced its imports of Nigerian crude oil in January 2026, buying almost half as much as it did in December 2025.

Data from the U.S. Census Bureau shows that Nigerian crude shipments fell from 3.149 million barrels in December to 1.664 million barrels in January – a drop of 47 per cent in just one month.

In dollar terms, the value of Nigerian crude imports also fell, from $217 million in December to $116 million in January. Despite this decline, Nigeria’s oil production increased slightly during the same period, averaging 1.64 million barrels per day.

The drop comes as overall U.S. crude imports fell and other African countries, such as Angola and Ghana, increased their shipments to the U.S. Nigeria’s share of U.S. crude imports slipped from 1.59 per cent in December to 0.88 per cent in January.

Experts say trade policies and tariffs, along with changing global demand, influenced the decline. Economists also note that U.S. visa restrictions may affect long-term business and investment more than tariffs.

Even with the lower exports to the U.S., the Nigerian National Petroleum Company still reported profits in January, though total revenue dropped compared to December 2025.