Petrol Imports Surge 80% Amid Refinery Shutdowns

Nigeria’s domestic supply of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), popularly known as petrol or fuel, rose sharply by 37.7 per cent in November 2025, reaching 23.52 million litres per day, up from 17.08 million litres recorded in October.

Latest data released by the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) also showed a massive increase in petrol imports, which jumped by 80.27 per cent, from 28.9 million litres per day in October to 52.1 million litres in November.

Naija News reports that the country received an average of 71.5 million litres of petrol per day during the month.

NMDPRA attributed the sharp rise in November supply to unusually low delivery levels in September and October, which dipped below national demand requirements.

It explained that the November boost was part of deliberate efforts to build inventory ahead of the peak festive-season consumption.

According to the report, the surge was also driven by increased imports from NNPC Limited, the supplier of last resort, which moved to stabilise national stock levels.

The agency noted that 12 petrol vessels originally scheduled to discharge in October were delayed and eventually spilt over into November, significantly elevating supply figures.

The midstream regulator placed average daily petrol consumption in November at 52.9 million litres, with national stock sufficiency standing at 16.65 days.

Meanwhile, all four refineries owned by NNPC Limited remain shut, with the report confirming that no date has been set for their return to operation.

Last month, NNPC Limited’s Group Chief Executive Officer, Bayo Ojulari, disclosed that the company was in talks with potential technical partners to jointly run the facilities.

Ojulari stated that even after the ongoing rehabilitation works, the refineries still require more upgrades to meet modern product standards.

“By the time we finish the ongoing rehabilitation, the products from those refineries will still be of a far lower standard than the Dangote Refinery.

“It will be two steps lower than current international specifications. So when I talk about ‘high grade’, it means we want to redesign to high grade so that the products we produce will meet international standards and become commercially competitive. That requires some redesign,” he added.