Nigeria’s domestic refineries are supplying more petrol than before, but foreign imports remain the backbone of the country’s fuel supply — according to recent data from Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA).
In a comprehensive operational update released via its official X handle on Saturday, the regulator provided a breakdown of the nation's energy profile, highlighting a widening gap between domestic consumption and local refining capacity.
Between October 2024 and October 10, 2025, Nigeria consumed 613.62 million litres of petrol.
Of that total, 236.08 million litres (approximately 37%) came from local refineries, while 377.54 million litres (approximately 63%) were imported.
Over the same period, domestic production nearly doubled: local refineries delivered 9.62 million litres/day in October 2024, rising to 18.93 million litres/day by October 2025.
In contrast, daily import volumes plunged from about 46.38 million litres/day in October 2024 to 15.11 million litres/day in October 2025 — a 67% drop.
As of October 2025, average national petrol consumption hit 56.7 million litres/day. Of that, local refineries contribute 17.08 million litres, while 27.6 million litres are imported.
Shifting Supply
The data points to a shifting fuel-supply structure. Although still heavily reliant on imports, local refineries are now supplying more than one-third of the national petrol needs.
The recent increase in domestic output has helped ease pressure on foreign exchange, given that imports require dollar payments.
Nigeria has issued over 30 refinery licenses, but only a handful of refineries are operational.
According to NMDPRA’s latest fact sheet, Nigeria’s theoretical refining capacity is over 1.1 million barrels per day, out of which the Dangote Refinery has 650,000.
The state oil company, NNPC's four refineries, have a combined capacity of 450,000 barrels per day, but barely produce any fuel.
The NMDPRA classifies all as "shut down" due to ongoing rehabilitation, critical safety concerns, or planned maintenance and sustainability assessment.
