Domestic refineries supply 35% as daily petrol consumption hits 56.7m litres

By Obas Esiedesa, Abuja

Nigeria’s average daily consumption of premium motor spirit, also known as petrol, rose 19.36 per cent in October 2025 to 56.7 million litres compared to 47.5 million litres recorded over the corresponding period a year ago, with domestic refineries supplying 34.15 per cent.

Data released by the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, NMDPRA, weekend, showed that only four out of the nation’s nine refineries were in operation.

None of the four refineries owned by the Federal Government with a combined refining capacity of 445,000 barrels per day was in operation.

NMDPRA listed those in operation to include Dangote Refinery (650,000 bpd capacity), Waltersmith Modular Refinery (5,000 bpd), Dupont (2,500 bpd), Edo Refinery (1,000 bpd), OPAC (10,000 bpd), and Aradel (11,000 bpd).

The data showed that the country has a combined refining capacity of 1,125,000 barrels per day with the active refineries producing at 467,000 barrels per day.

NMDPRA disclosed that in October 2025, 27.6 million litres of petrol was imported daily while local refineries supplied 17.08 million litres per day. The Authority noted however that the October figures were yet to be reconciled.

The figures showed a significant improvement in local supply compared to about a year ago. In September 2024, domestic refineries accounted for just three million litres (6.86 per cent) of the over 47 million litres of petrol consumed daily.

In terms of pricing, the authority stated that petrol was cheapest in Lagos and costliest in Sokoto at average pump price of N883 per litre and N959 per litre respectively. Pump prices in other cities were Enugu N915, Calabar N907.5, and Kano N945.

NMDPRA disclosed that from October 2024 and October 2025, Dangote Refinery supplied an average of 18.03 million litres per day to the domestic market with a plan for 35 million litres daily.

On NNPC refineries, the report stated that the Port Harcourt Refinery which restarted operation in November 2024 was shut down in May 2025 for planned maintenance work and sustainability assessment.

It explained that the Warri Refinery which started in December 2024 was also shut down in January 2025 due to “critical safety concerns”. The Kaduna Refinery, it said, was still undergoing rehabilitation.

The Group Chief Executive Officer, NNPC Limited, Bayo Ojulari, had, during the week, said the company was looking to engage technical partners which jointly operate the refineries.

Ojulari stated that besides seeking for technical partnerships, the refineries also need to be upgraded to improve the standard of their products.

“By the time we finish the ongoing rehabilitation, the products from those refineries will be of a far lower standard than the Dangote refinery.

“It will be two steps lower than the current international specifications. So when you hear me use the word high grade, it is that we want to redesign to high grade so that the product that we produce will be of international standard. So that we can market it commercially. That requires some redesign”, he stated.