The Dangote Refinery supplied an average of 18.03 million litres of petrol per day between October 2024 and October 2025, according to data from the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA).
The NMDPRA October 2025 ‘State of the Midstream and Downstream Fact Sheet’ showed that the refinery’s output falls short of the 35 million litres supply announced by the NMDPRA last year.
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The data raises concerns about a recent move by the Nigerian government to place a tariff on petrol imports, despite the inability of local refineries to meet demand.
On 13 November, the Nigerian government said the implementation of a 15 per cent import duty on petrol and diesel, announced by President Bola Tinubu in October, was “no longer in view”.
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In September last year, the federal government said the Dangote Refinery would supply Nigeria’s domestic market with 25 million litres of petrol daily and 35 million litres daily from October.
The tariff would have aimed to “strengthen local refining capacity, and ensure a stable, affordable supply of petroleum products across Nigeria.”
The policy, however, was met with criticism from various stakeholders, energy experts, and civil society groups, who argued that it would lead to higher fuel prices and worsen the country’s economic situation.
Following the approval, Dangote Refinery, the largest oil refiner in the West African country, stated that there was no need for petrol imports, adding that it produces enough petrol and diesel for local consumption.
Petrol Consumption
The official data from a regulator show that Nigeria’s daily petrol consumption rose to an average of 56.7 million litres in October 2025, compared to 47.5 million litres recorded in October 2024.
According to the data, 27.6 million litres of petrol were imported daily to the country while domestic refineries supplied 17.08 million litres per day.
“Domestic supply data are based on discharge figures, and import volume is based on shore receipt figures at the depot. This data is based on reconciliation for August 2024 – September 2025. October data yet to be reconciled,” the NMDPRA said.
In terms of pricing, the authority stated that petrol was the cheapest in Lagos and the costliest in Sokoto, with an average pump price of N883 per litre and N959 per litre, respectively. Pump prices in other cities stood at N915 in Enugu, N907.5 in Calabar, and N945 in Kano.
Status of conventional/modular refineries
The data showed that the country has a combined refining capacity of 1,125,000 barrels per day, with active refineries producing at a rate of 467,000 barrels per day. It noted that the current utilisation is 61.58 per cent (Q1-Q3 2025) due to technical constraints and crude supply limitations.
NMDPRA listed the active refineries as of October 2025, including Dangote, Aradel (11,000 bpd), Edo (1,000 bpd), and Walthersmith (5,000 bpd).
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None of the Nigerian state-run refineries, including two in Port Harcourt, which together form the Port Harcourt Refining Company, the Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical Company Limited and the Warri Refining and Petrochemical Company Limited, with a combined installed capacity of 445,000 barrels per day, were operational.
According to the report, the Port Harcourt refinery restarted operations on 26 November 2024, it was shut down again on 24 May 2025 for planned maintenance and sustainability assessment.
“The Warri refinery resumed operations on 28 December 2024, but shut down on 25 January 2025, due to critical safety concerns. The Kaduna refinery, undergoing rehabilitation,” it said.
