Dangote Refinery Grows, But Imports Still Rule

Despite the commencement of petrol production at the Dangote Refinery in September 2024, Nigeria still imported about 15 billion litres of petrol — nearly 69% of its total supply — between August 2024 and early October 2025, according to data from the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA).

Over the 15-month period, total national supply stood at 21.68 billion litres, with 6.67 billion litres (31%) refined locally. Import dependence peaked in September 2024 at 54.3 million litres per day, but gradually declined to 15.1 million litres per day by October 2025 as the Dangote Refinery increased output to nearly 19 million litres daily, surpassing imports for the first time.

The report also showed a sharp drop in daily petrol consumption — from 60.7 million litres in September 2024 to about 34 million litres by October 2025.

The decline coincided with the deregulation of the fuel sector and removal of subsidies in September 2024, which opened the market to private competition. Despite Dangote’s growing market share, importers have continued operations and accused the refinery of using price cuts to dominate the market.

While domestic refining is on the rise, the data confirm that Nigeria remains heavily reliant on imported petrol, even as the Dangote Refinery also exports to markets like the United States.