Nigeria TV Info 

Petrol War: Importers Outpace Domestic Refineries with 62% Supply in 2025

Nigeria’s petrol importers dominated the fuel market in 2025, supplying roughly 62.5 % of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) consumed nationwide despite increased output from domestic refineries, especially the Dangote Petroleum Refinery. According to the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) midstream and downstream sector factsheet, total petrol consumption in 2025 was approximately 18.97 billion litres, with imports accounting for about 11.85 billion litres. Domestic refineries contributed roughly 7.54 billion litres, or 37.5 % of total supply, underscoring persistent reliance on foreign fuel.

The trend reflects structural challenges within Nigeria’s refining sector, including gradual production ramp-ups, logistics constraints, and fluctuating demand in a fully deregulated fuel market. Although the Dangote Refinery, Africa’s largest facility, increased its petrol output through 2025 — averaging between 17 million and 32 million litres per day depending on the month — it was not enough to displace imports as the dominant source. State-owned refineries remained largely dormant.

Petrol import dependence widened at points during the year. For example, in May imports met around 71 % of demand, while domestic refineries supplied about 34 %. The gap narrowed toward the end of the year with domestic supply improving, but imports still accounted for roughly two-thirds of total consumption in December.

Government plans to impose a 15 % import tariff on petrol in early 2025 aim to curb reliance on imported fuel and boost local refining competitiveness. However, the effectiveness of the policy hinges on further strengthening domestic capacity and addressing industry bottlenecks.