The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) has revealed that despite the country’s three operational refineries boasting a combined refining capacity of 985,000 barrels per day, less than 50% of the daily petrol demand is met locally. This shortfall is being compensated by the importation of refined petroleum products.
Farouk Ahmed, NMDPRA’s Chief Executive, who made the disclosure during a press briefing in Abuja on Wednesday, February 20, 2025, said that Nigerians are consuming approximately 50 million litres of petrol every day, which is a significant decrease from the previous average of 66 million litres per day. The drop in consumption followed the government’s removal of the fuel subsidy in May 2023.
“Let me speak a little bit about supply. All of us experienced a Yuletide free of petrol scarcity. From year to year, we saw an increase in demand for petrol, but following the subsidy removal, consumption reduced significantly,” said Ogbugo Ukoha, NMDPRA’s Executive Director of Distribution System, Storage, and Retailing Infrastructure, who represented Ahmed at the briefing.
Despite the operational refineries, including the Port Harcourt refinery (210,000 bpd) and the Warri refinery (125,000 bpd), which resumed production after years of dormancy, the country continues to rely heavily on imported petrol. Ukoha confirmed that local refineries contribute less than half of the 50 million litres consumed daily.
“The contribution of local refineries towards sufficiency is less than 50% of what we require daily,” Ukoha stated. “This shortfall is sourced through imports. Even though none of the domestic refinery owners have imported petrol this year, the oil marketing companies (OMCs) have stepped in to bridge the gap.”
Nigeria’s reliance on imported fuel is a pressing issue, especially since the Dangote refinery, with a capacity of 650,000 barrels per day, has started operations, raising hopes for local production. However, Ukoha emphasized that without the importation of refined products, fuel shortages would be inevitable.
He also reassured the public that all imported petroleum products meet the required standards.
“The NMDPRA insists that all imported products meet the specifications of the Standards Organisation of Nigeria and the Petroleum Industry Act,” he said, adding that claims of substandard products circulating on social media were baseless and misleading.
Ukoha concluded by reaffirming the NMDPRA’s commitment to ensuring a steady and quality fuel supply across Nigeria. “If necessary, we will utilise the supplier of last resort to fill any gaps to avoid a potential scarcity,” he stated.