Nigeria’s fuel puzzle deepens as imports surge, refinery output falls

Nigeria’s importation of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), popularly known as petrol, increased by 207 percent in June 2026, according to new data released by the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA).

The NMDPRA Fact Sheet for June showed that petrol imports rose to 18.1 million litres per day, up from 5.6 million litres per day recorded in May.

The report also revealed that Nigeria’s daily petrol consumption increased by seven percent, reaching 50.6 million litres per day in June.

At the same time, petrol production at the Dangote Refinery dropped by 22 percent. The refinery produced 32.5 million litres per day in June compared to 41.5 million litres per day in May.

The figures indicate that Nigeria relied more on imported petrol in June despite local production from the Dangote Refinery. The increase in imports came as the NMDPRA issued import licences to petroleum marketers during the period.

The report further showed that the country did not import diesel in June. Diesel consumption declined during the month, reducing from previous levels.

Meanwhile, the use of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), commonly known as cooking gas, increased significantly. Daily LPG consumption rose by 24 percent to 5.1 kilotonnes per day, up from 4.1 kilotonnes per day in May.

LPG imports also recorded a major increase, rising by 1,400 percent to 1.5 kilotonnes per day. However, local LPG production fell by 10 percent to 3.6 kilotonnes per day during the month.

The latest figures highlight growing demand for petroleum products in Nigeria and the continued dependence on imports to meet domestic energy needs.