By Peter Omopo
Abuja, July 20, 2025 — Nigeria exported crude oil worth $1.34 billion to the United States between January and May 2025, maintaining its status as the largest African oil supplier to the U.S., despite a noticeable decline in both volume and value compared to the same period last year.
According to official data from the U.S. Census Bureau and Bureau of Economic Analysis, Nigeria shipped 17.39 million barrels of crude oil to the U.S. during the five-month period—down from 20.4 million barrels worth $1.52 billion recorded in the corresponding months of 2024. This represents a 12.7% year-on-year drop in volume and an 11.8% decline in value.
Despite the decrease, Nigeria retained its lead over other African oil exporters. Its crude shipments accounted for over 62% of U.S. crude oil imports from Africa, significantly surpassing combined exports from Libya, Angola, and Ghana, which totaled $811 million.
In May 2025 alone, Nigeria exported 4.2 million barrels of crude oil to the U.S. valued at $311 million—lower than the $368 million recorded in April.
Crude oil continues to dominate Nigeria’s exports to the U.S., but new U.S. trade policies under President Donald Trump have negatively impacted non-oil exports. The total value of U.S. imports from Nigeria fell to $2.12 billion in the first five months of 2025, down from $2.65 billion during the same period in 2024—a drop of $527 million, or nearly 20%.
This decline follows Trump’s April 2 executive order imposing a 10% tariff on most imports, with Nigeria facing a harsher 14% tariff due to its previous trade surplus with the U.S. While energy products like crude oil were exempted, the broader tariffs led to a significant reduction in U.S. purchases of Nigerian agricultural and manufactured goods.
In contrast, U.S. exports to Nigeria have surged. Between January and May 2025, the U.S. exported $2.42 billion worth of goods to Nigeria, up from $2.05 billion during the same period last year—an increase of 17.8%. This surge reversed the long-standing trade balance between the two countries.
Where Nigeria previously enjoyed a $596 million trade surplus in early 2024, the U.S. is now in surplus by $295 million as of May 2025. In that month alone, U.S. exports to Nigeria totaled $515 million, while imports from Nigeria stood at $400 million.
The auto sector has played a key role in the growing U.S. exports. American automobile and parts exports to Nigeria hit $426 million in the first five months of the year, including $312 million in passenger cars, $29 million in trucks and buses, and $86 million in parts.
However, Nigeria’s overall standing as a top African trading partner to the U.S. is slipping. The country accounted for just 10.8% of U.S. imports from Africa and 14.8% of exports to the continent—both slightly down from 2024.
Egypt emerged as the U.S.’s top African export market, with American exports skyrocketing from $1.95 billion in early 2024 to $3.43 billion in the same period of 2025—a staggering 76% increase. South Africa remains the U.S.’s largest African import source, with $8.67 billion worth of goods exported to the U.S. so far this year—more than four times the value of Nigerian exports.
Nigeria’s total trade volume with the U.S. now stands at $4.54 billion, placing it behind both Egypt and South Africa and raising concerns over its competitiveness in the evolving U.S.–Africa trade landscape.
