Nigeria's Petrol Imports Soar 207% as Domestic Supply Weakens

Nigeria's reliance on imported petrol dramatically increased in June 2026, with imports surging by 207% while domestic supply dwindled by 22%. This shift marks a significant departure from the beginning of the year, when local refining met the majority of the nation's fuel needs.

Data from the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority reveals a sharp rise in average daily petrol imports, from 5.9 million liters in May to 18.1 million liters in June. Concurrently, domestic petrol receipts dropped from 41.5 million liters per day to 32.5 million liters per day.

Despite the fall in domestic production, total petrol receipts for the month increased by 6.8%, indicating that the surge in imports more than offset the decline in local supply. This trend contrasts with January 2026, when domestic supply accounted for approximately 61.8% of the country's petrol needs, with imports at a much lower average of 24.8 million liters per day.

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Total PMS receipts rose by seven per cent from 47.4 million litres per day in May to 50.6 million litres in June, driven by a 207 per cent surge in imports to 18.1 million litres, even as domestic supply fell by 22 per cent to 32.5 million litres per day.