Nigeria recorded a significant increase in petrol imports in May, marking a sharp reversal from the declining import trend witnessed in recent months as domestic refining capacity expanded.
Fresh data released by the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) showed that average daily imports of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), commonly known as petrol, rose by 59.5 percent in May. Daily imports climbed to 5.9 million litres from 3.7 million litres recorded in April.
The development comes at a time when fuel consumption across the country is declining, raising questions about the balance between local production, import volumes and actual market demand.
According to an analysis of the NMDPRA's May factsheet, average daily petrol consumption fell to 46.3 million litres, representing a 9.4 percent decline from the 51.1 million litres consumed in April. Despite the drop in demand, total fuel supply increased to 47.4 million litres per day, up by six percent from 44.4 million litres supplied in the previous month.
The figures indicate that while more fuel entered the market through both imports and domestic production, Nigerians consumed less petrol during the period under review.
The Dangote Refinery remained the dominant source of locally refined petrol. The facility supplied 41.5 million litres per day in May, accounting for the bulk of the nation's fuel supply. This represents a modest increase of two percent compared to the 40.7 million litres supplied domestically in April.
NMDPRA data further revealed that the refinery achieved an average production output of 44.7 million litres per day during the month. Of this volume, 41.5 million litres were supplied to the domestic market, while no petrol exports were recorded during the period.
The increase in imports despite rising domestic production highlights the continued role of foreign fuel supplies in meeting Nigeria's energy needs, even as efforts continue to strengthen local refining capacity.
Meanwhile, Nigeria's state-owned refineries remained inactive throughout May. The Warri, Port Harcourt and Kaduna refineries did not contribute any petrol supply during the month, leaving the Dangote Refinery as the country's primary domestic refining source.
Beyond the petroleum sector, the NMDPRA report also provided insights into the country's gas supply performance.
Total daily gas supply stood at 4.984 billion standard cubic feet (Bscf) per day in May. Out of this volume, 2.851 Bscf per day was supplied to the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) company, while 2.133 Bscf per day was allocated to the domestic market.
Sectoral gas utilisation data showed that power generation remained a major consumer of domestic gas supplies. Gas-to-power facilities consumed 0.557 Bscf per day, while commercial users accounted for 0.635 Bscf per day. Gas-based industries consumed 0.510 Bscf per day during the review period.
The latest figures underscore the evolving dynamics within Nigeria's downstream petroleum sector, where increasing local refining output is now coexisting with a renewed rise in imports, even as overall fuel demand softens.