Domestic Refineries Supply 75% of Nigeria's Petrol, Outpacing Imports

Nigeria's petrol supply landscape has dramatically shifted, with domestic refineries now supplying the vast majority of the nation's fuel. Between January and July 2026, refineries, spearheaded by the Dangote Petroleum Refinery, provided approximately 7.41 billion liters of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), accounting for nearly 75% of the total supply. This figure represents a substantial increase from the same period in 2025, when domestic refineries supplied only 39.4%.

This surge in domestic production marks a significant reversal from the previous year, where imports dominated Nigeria's fuel supply. In the first seven months of 2025, imported petrol constituted about 60.6% of the total PMS supply, totaling approximately 6.58 billion liters. In contrast, imports for the same period in 2026 fell sharply to about 2.48 billion liters, a decline of over 62%.

The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority's (NMDPRA) data reveals this transformation. In July 2026 alone, domestic refining contributed an average of 25.8 million liters per day, while imports provided about 19.7 million liters daily. This indicates that domestic refining has gained over 35 percentage points of the petrol supply market share within a single year.

This development comes despite a recent increase in petrol imports during June and July 2026, following the issuance of import licenses. However, the overall trend clearly shows domestic refining capacity playing a much larger role in meeting Nigeria's fuel needs, moving the country away from its previous heavy reliance on imported fuel.