- Dangote Refinery ramped up production to 23.52 million litres per day in November, helping reduce Nigeria’s reliance on imported petrol.
- State-owned refineries remained shut, and imports surged to 52.1 million litres per day, highlighting ongoing vulnerabilities in the fuel supply chain.
Nigeria’s daily petrol consumption declined to an average of 52.9 million litres per day in November 2025, indicating a shift in national fuel demand patterns, according to the latest Fact Sheet released by the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA). This represents a decline from 56.74 million litres per day in October, despite an increase in total supply. The increase in overall supply was primarily driven by higher output from the Dangote Petroleum Refinery, accompanied by a sharp rebound in fuel imports.
Local refineries contributed 19.5 million litres per day to the national fuel pool in November, an improvement on the 17.08 million litres per day recorded in October. This growth, however, was almost entirely driven by the Dangote Refinery, which increased production to 23.52 million litres daily, compared with 18.03 million litres per day the previous month. Although the refinery still operates below its expected capacity of 35 million litres per day, the NMDPRA described the performance as “a major milestone” in reducing Nigeria’s long-standing reliance on imported fuel.
In sharp contrast, all three state-owned refineries, Port Harcourt, Warri and Kaduna, remained shut, producing zero output. These facilities continue to face prolonged rehabilitation setbacks and safety challenges, which prevent them from making meaningful contributions to the domestic supply.
Despite the increase in domestic production, Nigeria’s reliance on fuel imports remained substantial. Imported petrol surged to 52.1 million litres per day in November, nearly doubling the 27.6 million litres per day recorded in October. Analysts argue that these elevated import levels highlight persistent vulnerabilities within the national fuel supply chain.
Energy economist Dr Hassan Oladele observed that the November data “shows that Nigeria is still walking a tightrope between local refining ambitions and structural bottlenecks.” He emphasised that while the Dangote Refinery represents significant progress, the nation must continue to invest in domestic refining capacity to achieve sustainable energy security.
Overall, November’s snapshot suggests that Nigeria is gradually shifting toward greater self-sufficiency in petrol supply. Nonetheless, state-owned refineries remain dormant, and import dependency continues, underlining the urgent need for further investment in domestic refining infrastructure.