OPEC keeps Nigeria’s 1.5m bpd oil quota in place through 2026

The Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) has maintained Nigeria’s crude oil production quota at 1.5 million barrels per day (bpd) until December 2026, reaffirming a previous decision taken in late 2024.

The extension was announced after the 40th OPEC and non-OPEC Ministerial Meeting held on Sunday, where members agreed to retain overall production levels for countries participating in the Declaration of Cooperation (DoC).

The group said it also endorsed a new mechanism developed by the OPEC Secretariat to assess countries’ maximum sustainable production capacity — a framework that will serve as the basis for determining 2027 production baselines.

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OPEC’s joint ministerial monitoring committee will continue reviewing market conditions, conformity levels and output compliance. The next ministerial meeting is scheduled for June 7, 2026.

In a separate statement, OPEC said eight countries within the wider OPEC+ alliance — Saudi Arabia, Russia, Iraq, the UAE, Kuwait, Kazakhstan, Algeria and Oman — agreed to pause previously planned production increases for the first quarter of 2026, citing seasonal demand patterns.

The countries, which had earlier announced additional voluntary output adjustments in 2023, will continue to hold back a 137,000 bpd increase scheduled for December 2025.

They noted that the 1.65 million bpd in voluntary cuts may be restored “in part or in full” depending on market conditions and in a gradual manner. The countries also committed to fully compensating for any overproduction recorded since January 2024.

The eight members will meet monthly to review market dynamics, compliance levels and compensation progress, with the next meeting set for January 4, 2026.

Oluwatosin Ogunjuyigbe is a writer and journalist who covers business, finance, technology, and the changing forces shaping Nigeria’s economy. He focuses on turning complex ideas into clear, compelling stories.

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