Nigerians consumed a total of 613.62 million litres of Premium Motor Spirit, popularly known as petrol, for transportation, power generation, and other domestic uses between October 2024 and October 10, 2025.

This is according to fresh data obtained from the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority obtained by our correspondent on Monday in Abuja.

Despite the ramp-up in operations at the Dangote Petroleum Refinery and other local plants, imported petrol still accounted for a larger share of the country’s total fuel supply during the period under review.

Out of the total 613.62 million litres of Premium Motor Spirit consumed between October 2024 and October 10, 2025, the NMDPRA data revealed that 236.08 million litres were supplied by domestic refineries, while 377.54 million litres came through imports.

The figures indicate that imported petrol still accounted for the bulk of Nigeria’s fuel needs within the period, with imports dominating supply, contributing about 63 per cent of Nigeria’s PMS needs.

While local refineries, led by the 650,000-barrels-per-day Dangote Refinery, provided the remaining 37 per cent, marking a significant improvement from the previous year’s levels.

The NMDPRA data further indicated that domestic production rose steadily from 9.62 million litres per day in October 2024 to 18.93 million litres per day by October 2025, showing a near 100 per cent increase within the one-year period.

Conversely, import volumes declined sharply from 46.38 million litres per day in October 2024 to 15.11 million litres per day in October 2025, reflecting a 67 per cent drop.

A monthly breakdown of the data revealed a steady decline in petrol importation and a gradual rise in local supply. Import volumes dropped from 46.38 million litres in October 2024 to 36.39 million litres in November and 38.90 million litres in December.

By January 2025, import figures had fallen further to 24.15 million litres, and though there were slight fluctuations in subsequent months – 26.79 million litres in February, 25.19 million litres in March, and 23.73 million litres in April – imports rebounded temporarily to 37.37 million litres in May.

Thereafter, volumes declined again, with 28.54 million litres imported in June, 35.07 million litres in July, 20.66 million litres in August, 19.26 million litres in September, and a year-low of 15.11 million litres as of October 10, 2025.

In contrast, domestic refining output showed notable improvement within the same period, rising from 9.62 million litres in October 2024 to 19.36 million litres in November and 13.13 million litres in December.

The upward trend continued into 2025, with local supply climbing to 22.66 million litres in January and 22.42 million litres in February and maintaining over 20 million litres in both March (20.65 million litres) and April (20.35 million litres).

Though there were minor dips to 17.85 million litres in May, 17.82 million litres in June, and 16.50 million litres in July, output surged again to 21.19 million litres in August before stabilising at 18.93 million litres in October 2025.

The figures reflect a gradual but significant shift in Nigeria’s fuel supply structure, with local refineries, particularly the Dangote Petroleum Refinery, steadily closing the gap on imports within just one year of operation.

The document further showed that total petrol supply averaged 46.6 million litres per day, comprising 29.5 million litres from imports and about 17.1 million litres from local production.

The reduction in petrol imports has also eased pressure on Nigeria’s foreign reserves, as the country spends less on importing refined products. Previously, importers required billions of dollars monthly to settle letters of credit and cover freight and insurance costs.

However, the report noted fluctuations in overall supply, with volumes dipping from 55.21 million litres in May 2025 to 34.04 million litres in October 2025, a sign that logistical constraints and periodic maintenance still affect consistent nationwide distribution.

Oil and gas analysts say the improvement coincides with the first full year of operations of the Dangote Refinery, which began large-scale production earlier in 2025 and now contributes between 15 and 20 million litres of PMS daily to the domestic market.

Since its commissioning in May 2023 and subsequent ramp-up through 2024, the Dangote Refinery has been under global scrutiny as the flagship of Nigeria’s industrial revival agenda.

In its first year of sustained operation, the refinery’s growing output has reshaped Nigeria’s fuel supply structure, reduced foreign exchange exposure, and rekindled confidence in local refining after decades of failed turnarounds at the government-owned Port Harcourt, Warri, and Kaduna refineries.

Commenting, the Chief Executive Officer of Petroleum.ng, Olatide Jeremiah, said that Nigeria’s domestic refining capacity has recorded remarkable progress in the past year, with the Dangote Refinery now supplying about 40 per cent of the country’s daily petrol consumption.

Speaking in reaction to new supply data released by the NMDPRA, the analyst said the progress underscores the growing impact of local refineries on Nigeria’s energy security.

He, however, stressed that the Dangote Refinery and other local refiners require uninterrupted access to crude oil in naira to scale up production and reduce pump prices nationwide.

“The fact that import remains the country’s major source of refined products shows that there are still unresolved issues. In the last year, domestic supply championed by Dangote Refinery has made tremendous progress with about 40 per cent of our daily consumption. Dangote Refinery needs 100 per cent access to crude in naira to increase domestic supply and drive down prices at the pump,” he said.

He lamented that despite being Africa’s biggest crude oil producer and host to the continent’s largest refinery, Nigeria still imports about 60 per cent of its daily petrol needs, a situation he described as inconsistent with the country’s energy potential.

The Petroleum.ng chief urged the Federal Government and the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission to strengthen policies that guarantee local refineries full access to domestic crude supply.

“Nigeria, the biggest producer of crude in Africa with the biggest refinery in Africa, should not be importing about 60% of its daily fuel consumption; thus, our pump prices should be amongst the lowest in the world.

The FG, through NUPRC, should continue to formulate frameworks that would allow local refiners access to crude 100 per cent. For me, that’s the recipe for availability and affordability,” he added.

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Power generation companies have said that discussions with the Federal Government on the N4tn power sector legacy debt are still ongoing.

This is despite the Federal Government’s claims that the implementation framework for the N4tn debt reduction had been finalised with the GenCos.

Speaking with The PUNCH, the Chief Executive Officer of the Association of Power Generation Companies, Dr Joy Ogaji, confirmed that the operators met with top government officials to discuss modalities for settling the outstanding debts but stressed that no concrete agreement had been reached.

In a statement last week, the Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Energy, Olu Verheijen, disclosed that the Federal Government had taken a major step toward restoring financial stability and investor confidence in the electricity market with the finalisation of the implementation framework for the Presidential Power Sector Debt Reduction Plan.

She described it as a landmark initiative approved by Tinubu to address structural bottlenecks and lay the groundwork for large-scale private sector-led investment and sustained economic growth.

But Ogaji said there was nothing finalised yet with the Federal Government as far as the N4tn debt was concerned.

“Yes, the chairmen were invited to discuss modalities. I know that discussions are still ongoing. Nothing finalised or concretised. I can’t confirm it,” Ogaji told The PUNCH when asked to confirm if the payment plan had been finalised.

The Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, had earlier announced that the Federal Government has approved a N4tn bond for the defrayment of the legacy debt.

But the GenCos said they were not carried along by the Federal Government or the Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading Company.

Ogaji had in September written a letter to NBET seeking clarity and wondering why GenCos were not carried along during the verification process.

In the statement, Tinubu’s energy adviser said that on October 7, she, alongside the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr Wale Edun, and the Minister of Power, Adelabu, met with senior executives of Nigeria’s electricity generation companies to review settlement modalities for the outstanding debt.

The meeting, it was learnt, concluded with a consensus on the way forward, which includes conducting bilateral negotiations to finalise full and final settlement agreements that balance fiscal realities with the financial constraints of the GenCos.

Reportedly approved by Tinubu and endorsed by the Federal Executive Council in August 2025, Verheijen said the plan authorised the issuance of up to N4tn in government-backed bonds to settle verified arrears owed to generation companies and gas suppliers.

The intervention was said to be the largest in over a decade, addressing a legacy debt overhang that has constrained investment, weakened utility balance sheets, and hindered reliable power delivery across the country.

At the meeting, the Chairman of Heirs Holdings and Transcorp Power was quoted as saying, “For the first time in years, we are seeing a credible and systematic effort by the government to tackle the root liquidity challenges in the power sector. We commend President Tinubu and his economic team for this bold and transformative step.”

The Group Chief Executive Officer of Transcorp Plc, Owen Omogiafo, disclosed in April that the Federal Government owed the company up to N650bn for the power generated.

The Group Managing Director of Sahara Group reportedly echoed a similar sentiment, saying, “This initiative is significant in every respect. It gives us renewed confidence in the reform process and a clear signal that the government is serious about building a sustainable power sector.”

Verheijen had said that the focus of the government was on creating the right conditions for investment, from modernising the grid and improving distribution to scaling embedded generation.

According to her, by closing metering gaps, aligning tariffs with efficient costs, improving subsidy targeting to support the poor and vulnerable, and restoring regulatory trust, the nation was shifting from crisis response to sustained delivery and building the confidence needed to attract large-scale private capital.

Edun noted that the reforms were beyond liquidity: “They are about rebuilding the fundamentals so that Nigeria’s power sector works for investors, for citizens, and for the next generation.”

It was learnt that the Presidential Power Sector Debt Reduction Plan is being jointly implemented by the Federal Ministry of Finance, the Federal Ministry of Power, and the Office of the Special Adviser to the President on Energy, in collaboration with the Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading Plc and other key stakeholders.

Despite these assurances, GenCos remain cautious, insisting that the implementation details are still under discussion. Operators said they were waiting for concrete timelines and clarity on verification procedures before confirming any agreement.

Ogaji had earlier stressed that despite the patriotic commitment of operators to keep the lights on, factors outside their control make it nearly impossible to sustain generation. She listed gas supply, maintenance of machines, procurement of spare parts, and obligations to other creditors as key challenges.

“Gas suppliers have already started reducing supply. There are critical maintenance works on our machines, spares to purchase, and other creditors who are no longer willing to wait for payments. They now prioritise those who pay them promptly,” she stated.

The APGC boss revealed that GenCos’ monthly invoices average N270bn, but only about N70bn is paid, leaving N200bn outstanding every month. She faulted the 2025 federal budget, which earmarked N900bn for the power sector without cash backing, calling it grossly inadequate.

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The Delta State Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori, has assured Deltans that his trip to Germany would strengthen the state’s partnership with construction giant Julius Berger.

Oborevwori, who will on Tuesday depart for Germany, explained that the visit was strictly designed to deepen technical collaboration and secure more favourable project terms for Delta State.

The governor, who spoke through his Commissioner for Works (Rural Roads) and Public Information, Charles Aniagwu, on Monday in Asaba, noted that the official working visit was not for leisure.

He said, “Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, I and the Technical Assistant to the Governor will on Tuesday depart for Germany for a working mission

“The purpose of this visit is to strengthen our ongoing partnership with Julius Berger. His Excellency is known for his negotiation skills, and this trip will help us secure better deals and concessions that will benefit the state.

“The visit is not for leisure but part of the administration’s continuous efforts to enhance project delivery and cost efficiency.”

According to him, the state’s previous engagement with China led to the award of major contracts, including the N59 billion Agbor flyover and the N39 billion Otovwodo Junction, Ughelli flyover on the Warri–Patani Expressway.

The governor added that he had directed that all upcoming empowerment programmes, scheduled to begin next month, must be transparent and inclusive across all 25 local government areas.

He said the initiative would be coordinated by key ministries and agencies to create sustainable livelihoods and boost productivity.

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