By Emmanuel Olugua
A new report by Africa Business Insider magazine has revealed that Nigeria accounted for more than half of Africa’s crude oil exports to the United States in 2025, even as overall American imports of African oil declined during the year.
Citing data from the US Census Bureau’s “US International Trade in Goods and Services” report, the magazine stated that Nigeria supplied 52.2 percent of Africa’s crude exports to the US in 2025, up from 49.0 percent in 2024. The figures highlight Nigeria’s continued dominance as Africa’s leading crude oil exporter to the American market, despite a general reduction in volumes.
Total US crude oil imports from Africa fell to 89.371 million barrels in 2025, down from 103.631 million barrels in 2024. This represents a decline of 14.26 million barrels, or 13.8 percent year-on-year, suggesting softer demand for African crude in the US or a shift in sourcing patterns towards other regions.
Nigeria remained the single largest African supplier to the United States during the period under review. The country exported 46.618 million barrels of crude oil to the US in 2025, compared with 50.793 million barrels in 2024, marking a decrease of 4.175 million barrels, or 8.2 percent. Despite the drop in absolute volumes, Nigeria’s share of total African exports to the US increased, underscoring its strengthened relative position within a shrinking market.
The decline was more pronounced in value terms. Using the Cost, Insurance, and Freight measure, which reflects the landed value of petroleum at US ports including transportation and insurance costs, Africa’s total crude export value to the US fell from $8.945 billion in 2024 to $6.816 billion in 2025, a decrease of $2.129 billion, or 23.8 percent.
Nigeria’s customs value of crude exports to the US also declined, falling from $4.365 billion in 2024 to $3.451 billion in 2025. The country’s C.I.F. value stood at $3.545 billion in 2025, reflecting the broader downturn in export earnings amid reduced volumes and lower values.
According to Africa Business Insider magazine, trade relations between the United States and Nigeria favoured the US in 2025. The United States recorded a $1.79 billion trade surplus with Nigeria during the year, with American exports to Nigeria totaling $6.79 billion, compared to imports from Nigeria valued at $4.99 billion.
US exports to Nigeria included machinery, refined petroleum products, agricultural goods, and other manufactured items, while American imports from Nigeria remained largely dominated by crude oil and related energy products, though their overall value declined during the year.