Nigeria has solidified its position as the top African supplier of crude oil to the United States, exporting $2.57 billion worth of crude between January and August 2025. This remarkable achievement accounts for 55% of all African crude imports into the US, with Nigeria providing 33.23 million barrels out of a total 60.75 million barrels.
The country’s medium-sweet crude grades remain in high demand due to their blending flexibility and yield efficiency in refinery operations. In August 2025 alone, Nigeria supplied 4.49 million barrels, slightly above the 4.40 million barrels recorded in July, with a Cost, Insurance and Freight (CIF) value of $353.39 million.
Other African nations lag behind, with Angola exporting 6.86 million barrels, Libya shipping 11.51 million barrels, and Ghana contributing 3.69 million barrels during the same period. Nigeria’s dominance is attributed to its strategic importance in global oil trade and the sustained demand for its crude oil.
However, Nigeria’s non-oil exports to the US have suffered steep declines due to a 15% tariff imposed by President Donald Trump on a wide category of non-oil Nigerian goods in early 2025. Total American imports of Nigerian goods fell from $4.197 billion in 2024 to $3.58 billion in 2025, marking a 14.7% drop.