Nigeria’s dependence on imported petrol continued to shrink in April 2026 as domestic refining capacity strengthened, with Dangote Refinery emerging as the dominant supplier of fuel to the local market.
Fresh data released by the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) showed that the Dangote Refinery Petrochemicals Company supplied nearly 80 per cent of the nation’s daily petrol consumption during the month after operating at almost full production capacity.
According to the NMDPRA’s April 2026 market factsheet, Nigeria’s daily petrol consumption rose from 47.3 million litres per day in March to 51.1 million litres per day in April, reflecting growing demand across the country.
The report also revealed a notable improvement in fuel availability, as total petrol supply climbed from 40.1 million litres per day recorded in March to 44.4 million litres per day in April.
A significant portion of that supply came from Dangote Refinery, which maintained what regulators described as “near-perfect operational performance” throughout the month.
The refinery reportedly produced 53.6 million litres of petrol daily. Out of this volume, 40.7 million litres per day were distributed within Nigeria, while 17.1 million litres per day were exported to international markets.
Imported petrol accounted for just 3.7 million litres per day in April, highlighting the increasing role of local refining in meeting domestic energy needs.
The latest figures marked a major improvement from March, when domestic refineries contributed 34.2 million litres per day while imported products made up 5.9 million litres per day of supply.
The NMDPRA disclosed that Dangote Refinery achieved 100 per cent capacity utilisation for most days in April, posting an average operational efficiency of 99.12 per cent.
Beyond petrol production, the refinery also recorded strong output in other petroleum products.
According to the report, Dangote Refinery produced 23.6 million litres of diesel daily. Of this figure, 8 million litres per day were supplied to the domestic market, while 17.8 million litres per day were exported.
In the aviation sector, the refinery produced 22.9 million litres per day of aviation kerosene, supplying 2.6 million litres locally and exporting 20.5 million litres.
The factsheet further showed that the refinery maintained substantial product sufficiency levels, including 18 days’ sufficiency for petrol, 39 days for diesel, 70 days for aviation fuel, and 13 days for liquefied petroleum gas (LPG).
Meanwhile, state-owned refineries operated by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited remained inactive during the period.
The report confirmed that both the Warri Petroleum Refinery Company and the Kaduna Refinery Company recorded zero production throughout April.
Providing broader market indicators, the NMDPRA stated that Nigeria’s daily consumption benchmarks stood at 51.1 million litres for petrol, 17.3 million litres for diesel, and 2.6 million litres for aviation fuel. Domestic gas consumption was estimated at 4.8 kilotonnes per day.
On crude oil supply, the regulator noted a slight decline in volumes supplied to local refineries. Domestic crude allocation fell to 0.612 million barrels per day in April, compared to 0.674 million barrels per day recorded in March.
An industry analyst familiar with the downstream sector described the development as “a strong indication that Nigeria’s refining landscape is gradually shifting from import dependence to local production dominance.”
The analyst added, “The sustained performance of Dangote Refinery is beginning to reshape fuel supply dynamics in Nigeria, especially as imported petrol volumes continue to decline.”