Nigeria’s daily petrol consumption dropped 7% to 52.9 million litres per day in November 2025, signalling a shift in national fuel demand as supply sources continue to evolve. The figure, published in the latest Fact Sheet of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), reflects a decline from the 56.74 million litres per day recorded in October.
Despite the lower demand, total supply for the month increased due to stronger local output and a surge in imports.
Local Refining Rises as Dangote Expands Output
Local refineries supplied 19.5 million litres per day in November, up from 17.08 million litres in October. The bulk of this growth came from the Dangote Refinery, which continued to scale operations. The facility delivered an average of 23.52 million litres per day, compared with 18.03 million litres per day a month earlier.
While Dangote is yet to reach its planned 35 million litres per day capacity, the NMDPRA described its current output as a significant boost to Nigeria’s drive toward domestic fuel sufficiency.
In contrast, the Port Harcourt, Warri, and Kaduna refineries—operated by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC)—recorded zero petrol production in November. Port Harcourt remains shut for maintenance, Warri was taken offline in January 2025 due to safety concerns, and Kaduna is still under rehabilitation.
Imports Surge as NNPC Moves to Stabilise Supply
Imports accounted for 52.1 million litres per day of supply in November, almost doubling the 27.6 million litres reported in October. The regulator attributed the jump to several factors:
- Low stock levels in September and October failed to meet demand
- Efforts to rebuild inventory for the year-end consumption peak
- NNPC’s role as the supplier of last resort to maintain national supply security
- The delayed discharge of 12 cargoes, initially expected in October, but completed in November
NMDPRA data showed that October 2025 logged the highest monthly consumption within the past year, followed by November 2024 (56 million litres) and April 2025 (55.2 million litres).
Nigeria’s Refinery Status Remains a Bottleneck
Operational hurdles across government-owned refineries continue to limit Nigeria’s domestic capacity:
- Port Harcourt Refinery: Restarted late 2024 but shut again in May 2025 for scheduled maintenance
- Warri Refinery: Briefly reopened in December 2024; shut down on 25 January 2025 due to safety issues
- Kaduna Refinery: Still undergoing rehabilitation with no output
These challenges have reinforced the country’s dependence on imports, even as Dangote Refinery gains momentum.
Diesel, Jet Fuel, and LPG Consumption Trends
Beyond petrol, Nigeria consumed:
- 15.4 million litres/day of diesel (AGO)
- 2.5 million litres/day of aviation fuel
- 3,992 metric tonnes/day of LPG (cooking gas)
The regulator emphasised that the verified data illustrates Nigeria’s “strategic shift toward stabilised domestic production, improved safety standards, job creation, and reduced import exposure.”
Dangote Refinery Offers to Take Full Charge of Domestic PMS Supply
Earlier this month, Dangote Petroleum Refinery announced its readiness to fully supply Nigeria’s petrol needs, committing 1.5 billion litres per month, equivalent to 50 million litres per day, starting December 2025.
The refinery expects to ramp up deliveries to 1.7 billion litres per month (57 million litres per day) from February 2026, according to a communication sent to the NMDPRA.
