Nigeria supplied 52 per cent of Africa’s crude oil exports to the United States in 2025, reinforcing its dominance in the Africa–US energy trade, according to new figures from the US International Trade in Goods and Services report.

Total US crude oil imports from Africa declined to 89.371 million barrels in 2025, down from 103.631 million barrels in 2024 — a 13.8 per cent drop.

Despite the overall decline, Nigeria exported 46.618 million barrels, representing 52.2 per cent of total African crude shipments to the US. In 2024, Nigeria accounted for 49 per cent with 50.793 million barrels.

Although Nigeria’s export volume fell by 8.2 per cent year-on-year, other African oil producers recorded steeper declines, boosting Nigeria’s market share.

Angola’s exports dropped significantly from 18.497 million barrels to 8.891 million barrels, while Ghana’s shipments fell from 9.019 million barrels to 3.804 million barrels.

Libya was the only major African supplier to record a marginal increase.
In value terms, Africa’s crude oil exports to the US fell sharply.

The continent’s CIF (Cost, Insurance, and Freight) value declined by 23.8 per cent from $8.945bn in 2024 to $6.816bn in 2025.

Nigeria’s CIF value also dropped by 20.5 per cent to $3.545bn. However, Nigeria still maintained a 52 per cent share of Africa’s total crude export value.

Customs value figures, which exclude freight and insurance costs, mirrored the downward trend.

Africa’s customs value fell 24.1 per cent, while Nigeria’s dropped 20.9 per cent to $3.451bn.

Analysts note that while US tariff adjustments introduced in 2025 created uncertainty for non-oil exports, crude oil shipments largely remained exempt, limiting broader economic disruption.

Nigeria’s expanding share underscores its strategic position in global energy markets despite fluctuating oil prices and shifting trade policies.