Petrol imports slump 30% as Nigeria’s daily demand surges to 44.4 million litres

Nigeria’s daily petrol imports fell by 30.1% to 10.2 million litres in September 2026, even as consumption increased to 44.4 million litres per day.

This is according to the latest factsheet released by the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA).

According to the regulator, the combined daily receipts fell to 38.7 million litres, leaving a shortfall of 5.7 million litres against reported consumption.

Petrol supply falls short of demand

Domestic petrol receipts declined by 20.6% from 35.9 million litres per day in August to 28.5 million litres in September, while imports dropped from 14.6 million litres to 10.2 million litres daily. The reductions coincided with a 7% increase in consumption from 41.5 million litres per day in August.

Total receipts covered approximately 87.2% of reported consumption in September. Petrol stock cover improved from 22.9 days to 23.9 days over the same period but remained below the regulator’s 30-day benchmark.

The figures indicate that lower imports were accompanied by weaker domestic supply, limiting the volume of petrol available to meet rising demand.

Imports fluctuate throughout 2026

Daily petrol imports varied considerably between January and September, falling from 24.8 million litres in January to 3.0 million litres in February. Receipts recovered to 5.9 million litres in March, declined to 3.7 million litres in April and rose to 5.9 million litres in May.

Imports then climbed to 18.1 million litres per day in June and peaked at 19.7 million litres in July before declining over the following two months. September’s import volume was 48.2% below July’s peak.

Domestic supplies followed a different pattern, rising from 40.1 million litres per day in January to a high of 41.5 million litres in May. Receipts subsequently fell to 32.5 million litres in June and 25.8 million litres in July before recovering in August and declining again in September.

Refining capacity and import costs

Nairametrics reported that Nigeria’s petrol import bill increased by 989.4% quarter-on-quarter to N952.15 billion in the second quarter of 2026, from N87.40 billion in the first quarter.

• During the second quarter, the country’s oil refining sector recorded year-on-year growth of 43.94%, according to an earlier Nairametrics report.
• The Dangote refinery’s crude oil distillation capacity increased from 650,000 barrels per day to 700,000 barrels per day following maintenance and expansion work completed in February 2026.
• Despite this expansion, September’s figures show that reported domestic receipts were insufficient to cover petrol consumption. Reducing import dependence will require domestic refineries to deliver consistent volumes while ensuring adequate supply to meet demand.

Nairametrics earlier reported that Nigeria’s petrol import bill fell to $10 billion in 2025, down from $14.06 billion in 2024.

In 2024, import costs spiked 105.3% to N15.42 trillion, the highest on record, largely driven by a 40.9% depreciation of the naira, which sharply inflated local-currency import costs.