Nigeria has reclaimed its position as Africa’s leading oil producer, according to the latest report from the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) released on Tuesday. The report indicates Nigeria’s average daily crude oil production reached 1.28 million barrels per day (bpd) in April.

This represents a 4.07 percent increase from March’s output of 1.23 million bpd, marking the first month-on-month production rise for Nigeria this year. This increase secures Nigeria’s position ahead of Algeria, the continent’s second-largest producer, currently at 907,000 bpd.

However, there’s a slight discrepancy in the figures. While OPEC gathers data from member countries, it also uses secondary sources like energy intelligence platforms. Secondary sources suggest Nigeria’s April production might be slightly higher at 1.35 million bpd, though this still reflects a 3.15 percent decline compared to March.

“According to secondary sources, total OPEC-12 crude oil production averaged 26.58 mb/d in April 2024, 48 tb/d lower, MoM. Crude oil output increased mainly in Congo and Iran, while production in Nigeria, Iraq and Venezuela decreased,” the report read.

This aligns with a report released by the Nigerian Upstream Regulatory Commission on Sunday, which also placed April’s production at 1.28 million bpd. It’s worth noting that this figure falls short of the government’s target of 1.78 million bpd set for funding the 2024 budget.

Despite missing the target, Nigeria’s production surpasses estimates from Reuters and Bloomberg surveys that relied on shipping data and industry sources.