NIGERIA SUPPLIES NEARLY HALF OF SOUTH AFRICA’S IMPORTED CRUDE OIL AS PRESIDENT TINUBU AND PRESIDENT RAMAPHOSA’S TWO ECONOMIES SHOW AFRICA CAN POWER ITSELF THROUGH UNITY
Africa, look at this carefully, because it matters.
Official South African government figures show that in 2024, Nigeria supplied 48% of the crude oil South Africa imported, making Nigeria South Africa’s number one crude oil supplier.
That is nearly half of a major economy’s imported crude coming from a fellow African nation.
President Bola Tinubu leads Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation and a giant of oil production.
President Cyril Ramaphosa leads South Africa, one of the continent’s most industrialised economies. When these two powerhouses trade with each other, the whole continent gains.
And the story does not stop in Lagos or Johannesburg.
Government data shows Angola supplied about 15% of South Africa’s crude imports and Ghana about 6%. Add Nigeria’s 48%, and nearly 70% of South Africa’s imported crude oil comes from African countries.
Africa already has the oil, the ports, the markets and the talent to trade with itself.
Why this matters for Africa:
➡️ Unity is not only a slogan, it is trade, jobs and energy security moving between our own countries.
➡️ When African money circulates inside Africa, African industries, ports and workers benefit first.
➡️ Nigeria and South Africa together make up two of the largest economies on the continent, and their partnership sets the tone for others.
➡️ Strong African partnerships reduce dependence on far-away suppliers when global markets are shaken by conflict.
Let us be honest too. Trade levels also move from year to year: South Africa’s imports from Nigeria dropped from $2.3 billion in 2023 to $1.5 billion in 2025, according to South African trade officials.
That tells us the potential is far bigger than where we are today. The opportunity is to grow this partnership, not to celebrate and sit still.
This is where leadership comes in. President Tinubu and President Ramaphosa have a real chance to build on this foundation, through energy cooperation, refining partnerships, shared infrastructure and the African Continental Free Trade Area.
If Africa’s two powerhouses keep choosing each other, the rest of the continent will follow.
Unity does not mean we agree on everything. It means we decide that our shared future is stronger than the borders colonialism drew.
A Nigerian barrel of oil refined for a South African driver is a small but powerful picture of Africa working for Africans.
Imagine what happens when we apply the same spirit to agriculture, technology, manufacturing, education and culture.
From Lagos to Johannesburg, from Luanda to Accra, the message is clear: Africa is not waiting to be rescued, Africa is building.
What do you think Africa could achieve if we traded with each other more?
Share this with every African who believes in unity, and tag a friend in Nigeria and South Africa today. Together, we rise.
African hype media