Nigeria imported about 15.01 billion litres of petrol between August 2024 and early October 2025, accounting for 69% of total national supply during the 15 months, despite the start of local production at the Dangote refinery in September 2024.
Data from the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) showed total petrol supply at 21.68 billion litres, with 6.67 billion litres (31%) produced locally. The report, Import vs Domestic Supply Performance (August 2024–October 2025), highlights a steady rise in domestic refining and a corresponding drop in imports.
Imported volumes peaked at 54.3 million litres per day in September 2024, the month Dangote began supplying the market, but fell sharply to 24.15 million litres by January 2025 and 15.11 million litres in early October 2025. Meanwhile, local output rose from 6.43 million litres per day in September 2024 to 22.66 million litres in January 2025, stabilising around 20 million litres in later months.
By October 2025, Dangote’s refinery averaged 18.93 million litres per day, surpassing imports for the first time. Total daily petrol supply dropped from 60.73 million litres in September 2024 to 34.04 million litres by October 2025, indicating reduced national consumption.
The shift follows the full deregulation of Nigeria’s petrol market in September 2024, which ended decades of fuel subsidies.
Dangote Refinery, valued at $20 billion and capable of processing 650,000 barrels per day, has also exported petrol, diesel, and aviation fuel—including shipments to Saudi Aramco and countries in the Middle East Gulf—as it ramps up operations.
Refinery officials report over 310 million litres of PMS currently in storage, while the NMDPRA confirms Dangote’s average daily contribution of 20 million litres to the local market.
Though petrol imports still dominate, the data underscores Nigeria’s gradual transition toward self-sufficiency in fuel supply, driven by rising domestic refining capacity and declining import dependence.
