In a surprising shift in global oil trade patterns, the United States became a net exporter of crude oil to Nigeria for the first time earlier this year, according to new data released by the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA).
The report, published Tuesday, revealed that the U.S. exported 111,000 barrels per day (b/d) of crude to Nigeria in February 2025, and increased that figure to 169,000 b/d in March. Over the same period, U.S. crude imports from Nigeria dropped sharply from 133,000 b/d in January to 54,000 b/d in February and 72,000 b/d in March.
This marked the first time that crude oil shipments from the U.S. to Nigeria outpaced flows in the other direction a major reversal for a country that, for decades, had been one of America’s top suppliers of light, sweet crude.
Shift Driven by Maintenance and Refining Needs
According to the EIA, the drop in U.S. imports was partly due to scheduled maintenance at the Phillips 66 Bayway Refinery in New Jersey, a key consumer of Nigerian crude, particularly on the U.S. East Coast.
At the same time, demand for U.S. crude in Nigeria saw an uptick driven in part by the Dangote Petroleum Refinery, which began ramping up operations and required more input feedstock for its processing units.
The pattern reversed again later in the year, as the Bayway refinery came back online in April, and Dangote’s facility experienced an unplanned maintenance period, slowing its input needs temporarily.
A Historic Turn in Oil Trade Dynamics
The EIA’s note provides historical context, explaining that Nigeria was one of the United States’ top five sources of imported crude between 1973 and 2011. That changed dramatically after the U.S. shale boom, which boosted domestic production and reduced the need for foreign light crude.
“In nearly every year between 1973 and 2011, Nigeria ranked among the top five sources of U.S. crude oil imports,” the EIA wrote. “More recently, Nigeria ranked ninth among U.S. crude oil import sources in 2024.”
The role reversal where Nigeria is now receiving more U.S. crude than it supplies underscores both the evolving nature of global energy flows and the growing influence of domestic refining capacity in shaping import-export balances.
