Dangote Refinery supplied 79% of Nigeria’s petrol in April as imports dropped 37%, NMDPRA data shows.
Dangote Petroleum Refinery Petrol supply rose by 19 per cent in April 2026, amid a sharp decline in fuel imports and continued shutdown of Nigeria’s state-owned refineries, according to the latest midstream and downstream petroleum statistics released by the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA).
The report, published on Tuesday, showed that output from the 650,000 barrels-per-day Dangote Refinery rose to 40.7 million litres per day in April, up from 34.2 million litres per day recorded in March.
It stated that combined petrol supply from both the Dangote refinery and imports increased by 10.7 per cent to 44.4 million litres daily in April, compared to 40.1 million litres in March.
However, petrol imports fell significantly by 37.3 per cent to 3.7 million litres per day in April, down from 5.9 million litres in the previous month, reflecting a continued shift towards local refining.
The report also revealed a steep decline in imported crude oil, which dropped by 95.65 per cent to 0.41 million barrels in April, compared to 9.43 million barrels in March.
In contrast, crude oil supply from Nigerian upstream producers to domestic refineries rose by 56 per cent, increasing to 17.99 million barrels in April from 11.48 million barrels in March.
The NMDPRA stated that the Dangote Refinery operated at near full capacity during the period, recording 99.12 per cent utilisation, and achieved 100 per cent utilisation “for most of the days in April”.
According to the agency, the refinery produced 53.6 million litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) daily, alongside 23.6 million litres of Automotive Gas Oil (AGO), and 22.9 million litres of Dual Purpose Kerosene/Aviation Turbine Kerosene (DPK/ATK).
It added that the facility supplied an average of 40.7 million litres of petrol daily to the domestic market, accounting for the bulk of national consumption.
The report noted that the rise in output coincided with multiple petrol price adjustments by the refinery between March and April, driven by fluctuations in global crude oil prices.
“In early April, the refinery increased its gantry price to about N1,275 per litre from N1,200 per litre,” the report stated, adding that “the company adjusted prices at least five times within weeks as international crude prices fluctuated.”
Despite rising local production, the NMDPRA said Nigeria’s total petrol consumption stood at 51.1 million litres per day in April 2026, meaning the Dangote refinery accounted for about 79.64 per cent of national demand.
Meanwhile, government-owned refineries — including the Port Harcourt Refining Company (PHRC), Warri Refining and Petrochemical Company (WRPC), and Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical Company (KRPC) — remained shut throughout April.
The report showed that PHRC recorded zero evacuation of Automotive Gas Oil during the month, compared to 0.048 million litres per day in March.
In the modular refining segment, Edo Refinery led with 79.2 per cent capacity utilisation, followed by WalterSmith Refinery at 56.14 per cent and Aradel Refinery at 33.95 per cent. OPAC and Duport refineries remained inactive during the period, while active modular plants supplied an average of 0.559 million litres of fuel daily.
On pricing, the report showed that average retail petrol prices stood at N1,271.50 per litre in Lagos, N1,326 in Abuja, and N1,371.50 in Maiduguri.
It added that national PMS sufficiency stood at 18 days in April, while diesel and aviation fuel stock levels were 39 days and 70 days respectively.
The authority also disclosed that average cooking gas supply stood at 4,545 metric tonnes per day, while consumption was estimated at 4,818 metric tonnes per day.
Gas supply to the power sector was put at 0.549 billion standard cubic feet per day (Bscf/day), while industrial supply stood at 0.468 Bscf/day.
