Nigeria’s Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), commonly known as petrol, imports fell by 30 million litres between January and August 2024, according to data from the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA).
Farouk Ahmed, chief executive officer, NMDPRA said this decline coincides with a substantial increase in local supply, driven by the phased restart of the Port Harcourt Refining Company and incremental volumes from modular refineries.
The NMDPRA’s report indicates that PMS imports fell from 44.6 million litres a day in August 2024 to 14.7 million litres by April 13, 2025, representing a 67 percent decrease.
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According to Ahmed, local supply surged by 670 percent within the same period, with local plants delivering 26.2 million litres per day in early April, a significant rise from the 3.4 million litres recorded in September.
Despite this progress in boosting local production, the combined supply of imported and locally produced PMS only exceeded the government’s 50 million litres per day consumption benchmark on two occasions during the eight-month window.
After contributing virtually nothing in August, local plants delivered 26.2 ML/day in early April, a jump from the 3.4 ML recorded in September, the first month with measurable output.
Despite the progress, combined supply crossed the government’s 50 ML/day consumption benchmark only twice in the eight-month window—November (56 ML) and February (52.3 ML).
In March it slipped just below target at 51.5 ML, and in the first half of April, it remained short at 40.9 ML.
