Dangote Refinery Drives Nigeria’s Petrol Supply as Imports Fall 26% in August.
Nigeria’s dependence on imported petrol declined further in August 2026, as increased domestic refining pushed average daily Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) imports down by 26 per cent, according to data from the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA).
The regulator’s August 2026 State of the Midstream and Downstream Sector fact sheet showed that average daily petrol imports fell from 19.7 million litres in July to 14.6 million litres in August.
The decline occurred alongside a significant increase in locally sourced petrol. Domestic PMS receipts rose by 39 per cent, from 25.8 million litres per day in July to 35.9 million litres per day in August.
As a result, locally sourced petrol exceeded imported volumes by 21.3 million litres per day during the month, signalling a further shift in Nigeria’s fuel supply structure towards domestic refining.
Dangote Refinery Accounts for Majority of Domestic Supply
The Dangote Petroleum Refinery was the dominant contributor to Nigeria’s domestic petrol supply during the period.
NMDPRA data showed that the refinery produced an average of 41.94 million litres of petrol daily in August, of which 35.87 million litres were supplied to the Nigerian market, while 9.73 million litres were exported.
The refinery’s domestic petrol supply represented about 71 per cent of Nigeria’s total PMS receipts during the month.
Its average capacity utilisation was also recorded at 105.21 per cent, according to the regulator.
The refinery ended August with 360.4 million litres of petrol in stock. Its combined inventory of petrol, automotive gas oil (diesel) and aviation fuel stood at 630.9 million litres at the end of the month.
The wider inventory comprised 360.4 million litres of petrol, 137.2 million litres of diesel and 133.3 million litres of aviation turbine kerosene.
Total Petrol Receipts Rise Despite Lower Imports
Despite the reduction in imports, total petrol receipts increased by 11 per cent during the month.
NMDPRA recorded average daily PMS receipts of 50.5 million litres in August, compared with 45.5 million litres per day in July.
The regulator, however, reported a 14 per cent decline in petrol consumption, from 48.3 million litres per day in July to 41.5 million litres per day in August. It noted that the consumption figure was based on volumes trucked into the domestic market.
Petrol stock sufficiency consequently improved marginally from 22.4 days in July to 22.9 days in August.
Domestic Refinery Activity Records Broader Increase
The rise in local petrol production coincided with increased crude oil receipts by domestic refineries.
According to NMDPRA, crude oil receipts by domestic refineries rose by 17 per cent, from 585,000 barrels per day in July to 683,000 barrels per day in August.
Between January and August 2026, domestic refineries received 137.98 million barrels of crude feedstock. Of that volume, 109.88 million barrels came from domestic crude sources, while 28.10 million barrels were imported by sea.
Domestic crude therefore accounted for 79.64 per cent of refinery feedstock during the eight month period.
However, the increased refining activity was not uniform across Nigeria’s refining sector. NMDPRA reported that the state-owned Port Harcourt, Warri and Kaduna refineries recorded no production in August.
Several modular refineries recorded varying levels of activity, including Edo Refinery, WalterSmith, Aradel and OPAC.
Diesel Imports Also Decline Sharply
The reduction in dependence on imported petroleum products extended beyond petrol.
Average daily diesel imports fell from 7.9 million litres in July to 1.3 million litres in August, while diesel receipts declined by 39 per cent to 14.5 million litres per day.
At the Dangote refinery, average daily diesel production stood at 18.01 million litres in August, with 12.37 million litres supplied domestically and 8.75 million litres exported.
The latest figures provide another indication of the growing role of domestic refining in Nigeria’s downstream petroleum market, although the continued operation and output of individual refineries remain important factors in determining how sustainable the shift away from imports will be.