Nigeria’s crude oil and condensate production increased by 5.7% year-on-year to an average of 1.69 million barrels per day in October 2026, extending the country’s compliance with its Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) crude production quota to six consecutive months.
Data released by the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) on Wednesday showed that total daily output averaged 1,687,710 barrels in October, compared with 1,597,199 barrels per day in the corresponding month of 2025.
The increase represents an additional 90,511 barrels per day over the 12-month period, although production eased from the 1.72 million barrels per day recorded in September.
On a month-on-month basis, output declined by approximately 29,000 barrels per day, representing a 1.7% reduction from the previous month.
The commission's figures also showed considerable daily fluctuations during October, with production reaching a peak of 1.79 million barrels per day and dropping to a monthly low of 1.60 million barrels.
Excluding condensates, Nigeria produced an average of 1.51 million barrels of crude oil per day during the month, exceeding its OPEC allocation of 1.5 million barrels per day by approximately 10,000 barrels.
October's performance extended Nigeria's six-month run above its assigned production benchmark. Crude output stood at 1.53 million barrels per day in May, increased to 1.55 million in June, and moderated to 1.51 million in July.
Production subsequently settled at 1.50 million barrels per day in August before recovering to 1.53 million in September and easing slightly to 1.51 million barrels per day in October.
The latest figures also highlight the recovery in Nigeria's production following a weaker start to the year.
Combined crude oil and condensate output averaged approximately 1.63 million barrels per day in January before falling to 1.48 million in February. Production recovered to 1.55 million barrels per day in March and increased to 1.66 million in April.
The upward movement continued in May, when output reached 1.70 million barrels per day, before climbing to approximately 1.74 million in June, the highest monthly average recorded during the period.
Production subsequently declined to 1.67 million barrels per day in July, edged up to 1.68 million in August and rose to 1.72 million in September before retreating in October.
The NUPRC attributed the relative stability in recent production levels to improved operating conditions across the upstream petroleum sector, particularly stronger production uptime and more efficient crude evacuation.
In a statement issued by its Head of Media and Corporate Communications, Eniola Akinkuotu, the regulator said October's performance reflected the efforts of operators and other industry stakeholders to improve operational efficiency, preserve asset integrity and strengthen production reliability.
The commission maintained that these improvements had supported the country's ability to sustain crude oil production despite the slight monthly decline recorded in October.
