Nigeria imported approximately 1.31 billion litres of petrol in December 2025, even as domestic production from Dangote Petroleum Refinery increased significantly, according to data from the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA).
Total petrol supply averaged 74.2 million litres per day in December, with imports contributing 42.2 million litres per day and Dangote supplying 32 million litres per day.
In November 2025, imports totalled 1.57 billion litres or 52.1 million litres per day, while Dangote supplied 585 million litres or 19.5 million litres per day, resulting in a combined monthly supply of 2.15 billion litres.
The increase to 2.3 billion litres in December reflects heightened seasonal demand during the Yuletide period.
Despite rising local refining capacity, some marketers continued to rely on imported petrol to meet market needs.
NMDPRA justified November import licences by citing shortages in September and October 2025, when Dangote supplied 17.6 million litres per day, and imports averaged 22.1 million litres per day.
Dangote Group President Aliko Dangote accused the former NMDPRA Chief Executive Farouk Ahmed of issuing reckless import licences while refinery tanks remained full, describing the action as economic sabotage.
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Dangote highlighted that licences were issued for about 7.5 billion litres in the first quarter of 2026, despite the refinery’s assurance to meet domestic requirements.
In response, Dangote Refinery reduced pump prices from around N900 to N739 per litre in December, though this adjustment came at a cost to both refiners and importers.
On Wednesday, January 15, 2026, Dangote Refinery Managing Director David Bird announced the commencement of 24-hour night-time loading operations to sustain daily supply exceeding 50 million litres across Nigeria.
Bird confirmed the refinery is meeting the 50 million litres daily requirement in both production and offtake, with some days reaching over 52 million litres.
The landing cost of imported PMS stood above Dangote’s ex-depot price of N699 per litre, according to the Major Energies Marketers Association of Nigeria (MEMAN).
MEMAN reported the landing cost dropped to N754.96 per litre on Wednesday from N758 the previous week, creating a N44 per litre difference compared with Dangote’s gantry price.
Oil marketers noted that both domestically produced and imported fuel prices are likely to rise if crude oil prices continue their upward trend.
