Nigeria recorded a sharp rise in petrol importation in March 2026, even as government agencies continue to promote local refining and reduce dependence on foreign fuel sources.
According to official documents submitted by the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) to the Federal Account Allocation Committee (FAAC), the country imported **182,235,909 litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS)** in March. This represents a 114% increase compared to the 85,097,124 litres imported in January.
This increase comes despite earlier statements from the NMDPRA in February claiming that petrol importation had been stopped to support local refineries. However, the situation appears more complex, as conflicting reports and policy adjustments continue to shape the downstream oil sector.
The Dangote Refinery has also challenged the regulator’s position, insisting that six independent marketers still hold valid import licences and are actively involved in bringing fuel into the country.
At the same time, the official data shows that local refineries played a much larger role in supply. In March, domestic refineries supplied 1,111,987,635 litres of petrol, while total national supply stood at 1,294,223,544 litres.
On a daily basis, local refineries contributed an average of 35.87 million litres, while imports accounted for about 5.88 million litres per day, showing that domestic production is now the dominant source of supply.
The document also detailed how petrol was distributed across Nigeria. Lagos State recorded the highest supply with 209.6 million litres, followed by Ogun State with **103.3 million litres, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) with 98.2 million litres,and Oyo State with 77.1 million litres.
Other major beneficiaries included Delta (69.9 million litres), Kano (58.2 million litres), Anambra (49.2 million litres), Rivers (48.8 million litres), Edo (48.1 million litres), Adamawa (46.7 million litres), and Kwara (40 million litres).
Smaller allocations were recorded in states such as Ekiti, Gombe, Borno, Yobe, and Jigawa, with Jigawa receiving the lowest supply of about 7.8 million litres.
The issue of import licences remains highly controversial. The NMDPRA earlier claimed it did not issue any import licences in the first quarter of 2026, arguing that the Dangote Refinery alone could meet national demand.
However, the agency later clarified that fuel importation was never officially banned, stressing that maintaining energy security requires a mix of both imported and locally refined petrol.
International reports, including from S&P Global, revealed that the regulator recently issued new import permits to six Nigerian marketers, including Matrix, AA Rano, AYM Shafa, NIPCO, Pinnacle, and Bono. These licences reportedly allow imports ranging between 60,000 and 150,000 metric tonnes,
The development marks a shift in policy, as earlier restrictions had limited foreign petrol inflows to support domestic refining growth.
Despite policy uncertainty, data shows that the Dangote Refinery operated at about 94% capacity in March, producing enough fuel to meet national demand. However, actual local supply distribution remained uneven, prompting continued reliance on imports.
Meanwhile, leadership changes at the NMDPRA have added to the uncertainty, following the removal of its former CEO after just four months in office.
As Nigeria continues to balance local refining ambitions with import dependence, the petrol market remains in a state of transition, shaped by policy adjustments, supply realities, and competing industry interests.
