Nigeria exported crude oil worth $1.34 billion to the United States in the first five months of 2025, maintaining the country’s position as America’s leading African oil supplier.
Figures from the U.S. Census Bureau and Bureau of Economic Analysis show that the US purchased a total of 17.39 million barrels of Nigerian crude between January and May 2025.
Although energy-related goods like crude were exempted from recent import tariffs introduced by the administration of President Donald Trump, the volume still declined from the 20.4 million barrels valued at $1.52 billion recorded during the same period in 2024.
The 12.7 per cent year-on-year drop in volume and 11.8 per cent decline in value point to shifting market dynamics and a potential reconfiguration of U.S. oil sourcing strategies, even as Nigeria remained top of the pile among African oil exporters.
In May 2025 alone, Nigerian crude exports to the U.S. stood at 4.2 million barrels, valued at $311 million, a fall from $368 million in April.
Crude oil continues to form the backbone of the country’s exports to the U.S., accounting for more than 62 per cent of American crude imports from Africa during the review period.
Nigeria’s shipments dwarfed those of Libya, Angola and Ghana, whose combined crude exports to the U.S. amounted to $811 million.
Customs and C.I.F. (Cost, Insurance and Freight) data show that Nigeria’s oil exports to the U.S. stood at $1.34 billion and $1.38 billion, respectively, reinforcing its central role in U.S.–Africa energy trade, even as broader Nigerian exports have struggled under the weight of new U.S. trade rules.
While crude oil flows have remained relatively stable, Nigeria’s overall exports to the U.S. have declined sharply.
Total goods imported by the U.S. from Nigeria fell to $2.12 billion in the first five months of 2025, compared to $2.65 billion in the same period of 2024, a drop of $527 million or nearly 20 per cent.
This comes amid a renewed protectionist agenda led by U.S. President Donald Trump, who signed an executive order on 2 April imposing a flat 10 per cent import tariff on most countries.
Nigeria, singled out for its previous trade surplus, was hit with a higher 14 per cent tariff rate.
Although crude oil was spared, the broader tariff regime has dampened U.S. demand for Nigerian non-oil goods, including agricultural produce and manufactured items.
In May 2025, total U.S. imports from Nigeria fell to $400 million, down from $517 million in May 2024.
The PUNCH observed that while Nigerian exports to the U.S. have weakened, American exports to Nigeria surged in the same period.
U.S. goods exports to Nigeria rose to $2.42 billion between January and May 2025, up from $2.05 billion in the corresponding period of 2024, a 17.8 per cent increase.
This sharp contrast led to a complete reversal in the trade balance between the two countries.
In the first five months of 2024, Nigeria held a $596 million surplus over the U.S. By May 2025, the U.S. had flipped the script, recording a $295 million surplus.
Monthly trade data further illustrate the shift. In May 2025, U.S. exports to Nigeria stood at $515 million, while imports from Nigeria totalled $400 million, giving America a monthly surplus of $115 million.
One of the key contributors to the surge in U.S. exports to Nigeria is the automobile sector. In the first five months of 2025, the U.S. exported $426 million worth of motor vehicles and parts to Nigeria, comprising $312m in passenger cars, $29 million in trucks and buses, and $86 million in parts.
Nigeria’s status as a top African trading partner of the U.S. appears to be waning. The country accounted for just 10.8 per cent of U.S. imports from Africa and about 14.8 per cent of exports to the continent during the first five months of 2025, both slightly down from the previous year.
Egypt emerged as the U.S.’s top African export destination, with American exports rising from $1.95 billion in the first five months of 2024 to $3.43 billion in the same period of 2025 — a staggering 76 per cent increase.
South Africa continues to dominate on the import side. The U.S. imported $8.67 billion worth of goods from South Africa between January and May 2025, over four times what it imported from Nigeria.
Nigeria’s total trade volume with the U.S. now stands at $4.54 billion, lagging behind Egypt and South Africa, and raising concerns about its competitiveness in the evolving U.S.–Africa trade landscape.
