The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) has disclosed in its March 2026 fact sheet that petrol imports by oil marketers surged 96.7%, climbing from 3.0 million litres per day in February to 5.9 million litres per day. This uptick signals greater dependence on foreign supplies amid evolving local conditions.
Boost in Domestic Supply and Total Volumes
NMDPRA data shows domestic petrol production also advanced notably, from 30.5 million litres per day to 34.2 million litres per day, fueled by refiners like Dangote Petroleum Refinery. Overall daily supply edged up slightly to 40.1 million litres from 39.5 million litres, with local output dominating the market.
Declining Consumption and Stock Levels
The regulator also noted that petrol consumption fell from 56.9 million litres per day to 47.3 million litres per day, linked to elevated prices—Dangote raised its rate to N1,275 per litre multiple times. Stock sufficiency dropped sharply from 30.7 days to 21.2 days, despite higher imports.
Policy Adjustments and Other Fuels
NMDPRA had paused new import licenses to favor local refining but later resumed them to avert shortages and secure energy supplies. Diesel supply plunged from 24.4 million litres per day to 10.3 million litres per day, LPG held steady at 4.7 kilotonnes per day with rising domestic input, and gas supply grew modestly to 4.888 billion standard cubic feet per day. The authority also flagged advances at Waltersmith Refinery’s second train. These trends underscore NMDPRA’s role in balancing imports, local refining growth, and supply chain stability to curb Nigeria’s fuel import reliance long-term.
