Nigeria lost approximately 3.33 million barrels of crude oil to theft in 2025, according to figures released by the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC).
The commission’s annual report, released on Thursday, November 5, 2026, revealed that nearly two-thirds of the reported losses occurred during the final quarter of the year.
The report also disclosed that the commission’s oil and gas revenue collections declined by ₦2.14 trillion, from ₦12.56 trillion in 2024 to ₦10.42 trillion in 2025.
This represents a 17.03 per cent reduction in revenue collections.
Oil Theft Rises Sharply in Fourth Quarter
According to the report, Nigeria recorded approximately 896,471 barrels of crude oil theft during the first quarter of 2025.
The second quarter recorded a negative adjustment of 200,400 barrels following reconciliation of excess volumes.
Reported theft stood at 440,434 barrels in the third quarter before increasing sharply to 2.19 million barrels during the final three months of the year.
The fourth-quarter figure accounted for approximately 65.8 per cent of the year’s reported losses.
The commission’s findings raise concerns about the protection of petroleum infrastructure and the effectiveness of measures to tackle illegal crude extraction.
Despite the losses, Nigeria produced approximately 541.08 million barrels of crude oil and blended condensate in 2025.
Oil Revenue Falls Despite Security Spending
The NUPRC report showed that revenue collections declined despite increases in some categories of petroleum receipts.
Gas flare penalties rose from ₦391.26 billion in 2024 to ₦611.42 billion in 2025.
Signature bonuses also increased, while concession rental receipts recorded growth.
However, these gains were insufficient to offset declines in other major revenue categories.
The report further documented 357 oil spill incidents during the year, with sabotage accounting for 49.5 per cent of the reported cases.
The continued loss of crude oil presents challenges for government revenue, export earnings and domestic petroleum supply.
The figures also raise questions about security arrangements around production facilities and pipelines.
However, the revenue decline cannot be attributed entirely to oil theft, as government petroleum receipts are influenced by production volumes, prices, royalties and other factors.
The latest NUPRC findings highlight the need for stronger monitoring and accountability in Nigeria’s petroleum sector.
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