Nigeria has tightened its position as the United States’ dominant African crude supplier this year, shipping 33.23 million barrels valued at 2.57 billion US dollars between January and August, Business Insider reported, citing data from the US Census Bureau.

The figures place Nigeria well ahead of other African exporters, accounting for fifty-five percent of all crude the US imported from the continent in the period. In practical terms, more than one out of every two African barrels unloaded at American ports originated from Nigeria, underscoring a supply pattern that has held firm throughout the year.

Earlier data point to the same trend. Between January and May, US refiners purchased 17.39 million barrels of Nigerian crude worth 1.34 billion US dollars, representing sixty-two percent of African imports over those months.

Nigeria’s sustained lead reflects the continued appeal of its light-sweet grades, which are well suited to US refining configurations. Established commercial ties and relatively predictable cargo schedules have further supported its advantage over regional exporters dealing with operational swings or political uncertainty.

Export dynamics, however, are expected to shift as the Dangote Refinery ramps up. The facility — already Africa’s largest — is processing around 650,000 barrels per day and plans to expand capacity to 1.4 million barrels per day. As utilisation increases, a considerable share of Nigeria’s crude is anticipated to move into domestic refining rather than export markets.

The near-term effect on US-bound volumes has remained limited, but the refinery’s expansion is set to reduce Nigeria’s dependence on fuel imports, strengthen foreign-exchange retention and eventually boost earnings through the export of refined products rather than raw crude.