Nigeria, Africa’s largest oil producer, imported Libyan crude oil for the first time, reflecting shifts in global energy markets amid disruptions to oil supplies from the Gulf region.
Nigeria’s imports of Libyan crude reached around 64,500 barrels per day in May, totaling approximately two million barrels during the month, marking the first documented import of Libyan oil by Abuja.
The development is particularly notable given that Nigeria, despite producing about 1.5 million barrels of oil per day and remaining Africa’s leading producer, still imports crude to supply its domestic refineries.
The shift was not limited to Nigeria. Egypt resumed imports of Libyan crude this year for the first time since 2019, importing around 57,000 barrels per day in February and 33,000 barrels per day in April as Cairo sought to replace part of the supplies previously sourced from Kuwait and other Gulf countries.
Tunisia has also increased its purchases of Libyan crude in recent months, although its imports had remained relatively limited in previous years.
Meanwhile, data showed that Libyan oil exports declined by 11 percent in May to 1.07 million barrels per day. Italy remained the largest importer of Libyan crude, followed by Greece, Spain and Turkey. According to the latest figures from the National Oil Corporation, Libya’s oil production currently stands at around 1.4 million barrels per day.
