Nigeria's Petrol Imports Drop 30% Amid Rising Demand

In September 2026, Nigeria's daily petrol imports fell by 30.1% to 10.2 million litres, despite an increase in consumption to 44.4 million litres per day, according to the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA). The total daily petrol receipts dropped to 38.7 million litres, creating a shortfall of 5.7 million litres against reported consumption.

Domestic petrol receipts also declined by 20.6%, from 35.9 million litres per day in August to 28.5 million litres in September. The consumption increased by 7% from 41.5 million litres per day in August.

Although petrol stock cover improved from 22.9 days to 23.9 days, it remained below the 30-day benchmark set by the regulator. The report indicated that lower imports were coupled with weaker domestic supply, limiting the petrol available to meet rising demand.

The petrol import bill surged by 989.4% quarter-on-quarter to N952.15 billion in the second quarter of 2026.