Nigeria has emerged as Africa’s largest exporter of crude oil to the United States, reinforcing its position as the continent’s most important energy supplier to the world’s biggest economy.
Between January and August 2025, Nigeria shipped 33.23 million barrels of crude oil to the U.S., with the exports valued at approximately $2.57 billion, according to a statement released by the U.S. Mission in Nigeria.
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In practical terms, more than half of all African crude oil unloaded at U.S. ports during the period originated from Nigeria, underscoring the country’s outsized role in transatlantic energy trade.
Countries such as Angola, Libya, and Ghana contributed to U.S. crude imports, but none came close to matching Nigeria’s volumes, the Punch reports.
Earlier data showed a similar trend: between January and May 2025, Nigeria supplied 17.39 million barrels worth $1.34 billion, accounting for 62% of all African crude purchased by U.S. refiners in that window.
Nigeria’s appeal lies largely in the quality of its oil. Its light-sweet crude grades are cheaper to refine, align well with U.S. environmental standards, and require less complex processing than heavier blends.
Combined with long-standing commercial relationships and relatively efficient shipping routes, Nigerian crude has remained a preferred feedstock for American refiners, particularly as production in other African countries has faced political or operational disruptions.
Outside of crude export, Nigeria has also begun exporting gasoline to the U.S market.
Dangote’s contribution to Nigeria’s oil export
In September, Nigeria’s Dangote refinery demonstrated its expanding presence in one of the world’s most competitive petroleum markets by sending its first confirmed gasoline shipment to the United States.
About 320,000 barrels of gasoline were on board the tanker Gemini Pearl when the first load arrived. Mocoh Oil sold it to international trader Vitol, who then sold the majority of it to Sunoco, a petroleum distributor in the United States.
During the month, the ship discharged to Sunoco’s Linden terminal in the vicinity of New York Harbor, which was the refinery’s first supply of gasoline that complies with US regulations.
One is on the ship MH Daisen and was scheduled to arrive in New York Harbor on September 19. Glencore sold it to Shell.
Another, which Vitol bought from Mocoh, is on the ship Seaexplorer and arrived on September 22.
According to industry sources, as cargo destinations are frequently changed based on demand, these delivery dates may still change based on market conditions.
The commissioning and gradual ramp-up of the 650,000-barrel-per-day Dangote Refinery marks a potential turning point, not just for Nigeria’s energy sector, but for its broader manufacturing ambitions.
Already the largest refinery in Africa, the facility has announced plans to expand capacity to 1.4 million barrels per day, a scale that could make it the largest single-site refinery in the world.
