Fresh NMDPRA data shows rising refinery output, surging imports and shifting fuel demand patterns
Nigeria’s average daily petrol consumption dropped to 52.9 million litres per day in November 2025, according to the latest Fact Sheet released by the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA). This reflects a decline from the 56.74 million litres per day recorded in October.
The regulator’s new data shows that local refineries supplied 19.5 million litres per day in November, up from 17.08 million litres per day the previous month. A significant portion of this improvement is tied to stronger output from the Dangote Refinery, which delivered an average of 23.52 million litres per day, compared with 18.03 million litres daily in October.
Despite this rise in domestic production, imports accounted for 52.1 million litres per day of national petrol consumption, nearly double the 27.6 million litres per day recorded in October.
The NMDPRA described Dangote’s performance as a major milestone in Nigeria’s push to reduce dependence on imported petrol. However, the agency noted that the Port Harcourt, Warri, and Kaduna refineries, all operated by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC), posted no petrol output in November as they remained in various phases of rehabilitation or shutdown.
According to the report, the sharp rise in imports was driven by several factors:
- Low supply levels recorded in September and October, which failed to meet demand
- The need to build up national stock ahead of year-end peak consumption
- NNPC’s stepped-up importation efforts to reinforce supply security
- The delayed discharge of 12 vessels originally slated for October but offloaded in November
The NMDPRA’s review also highlighted that October 2025 recorded the highest petrol consumption within the one-year period under review, followed by November 2024 (56 million litres) and April 2025 (55.2 million litres).
Beyond petrol, Nigerians consumed an average of 15.4 million litres of diesel per day in November. Daily usage also included 2.5 million litres of aviation fuel and 3,992 metric tonnes of cooking gas, underscoring continued demand across the broader energy sector.
