NMDPRA Report: Nigeria’s Daily Petrol Consumption Peaks at 56.7 Million Litres in October.
Nigeria’s daily consumption of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), or petrol, reached an average of 56.74 million litres in October 2025. This figure, released in the latest Fact Sheet by the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), represents the highest recorded nationwide demand within the one-year period under review.
The report highlights Nigeria’s sustained high demand for refined products while also detailing the critical supply dynamics, including the increasing role of domestic refining capacity.
Table of Contents
October Consumption: 56.7 Million Litres Daily
Shifting Supply Dynamics: The Role of Domestic Refineries
Performance of Major Refineries
Consumption Trends for Other Key Fuels
Overall Refining Capacity Utilization
1. October Consumption: 56.7 Million Litres Daily
The NMDPRA Fact Sheet confirmed that the 56.74 million litres average represents the total demand recorded across all fuel distribution channels in October 2025. This month marked the peak consumption within the twelve months between October 2024 and October 2025.
Over the entire one-year period, Nigeria consumed an average of 661.5 million litres of petrol monthly, underscoring the substantial and sustained demand for PMS.
The average daily supply to the domestic market in October stood at 44.7 million litres, with October’s consumption rate being closely followed by November 2024 (56 million litres) and April 2025 (55.2 million litres).
2. Shifting Supply Dynamics: The Role of Domestic Refineries
A crucial revelation in the report is the changing source of Nigeria’s petrol supply, reflecting deliberate efforts toward self-sufficiency.
Of the total consumption figure for October:
Imported Supply: 27.6 million litres
Local Refineries Supply: 17.08 million litres
The NMDPRA noted that this continued shift toward domestic production signals gradual progress in reducing the nation’s reliance on imported fuel, a key goal of the government’s energy policy.
3. Performance of Major Refineries
The Fact Sheet provides a clear contrast between the performance of the privately-owned Dangote Refinery and the three state-owned refineries operated by the NNPC Ltd.
Dangote Refinery: Significant Milestone
The Dangote Refinery supplied an average of 18.03 million litres of PMS daily during the period. While this remains below its planned full refining capacity of 35 million litres per day, the NMDPRA described this output as a significant milestone in reducing reliance on foreign imports.
NNPC Public Refineries: Zero Output
In stark contrast, the three refineries managed by the NNPC Ltd.—Port Harcourt, Warri, and Kaduna—recorded no PMS output during the period, as they remain under various stages of rehabilitation or maintenance.
| Refinery | Status in October 2025 | Note |
| Port Harcourt Refinery | Shut down | Shut down in May 2025 for planned maintenance and sustainability checks after briefly restarting in late 2024. |
| Warri Refinery | Shut down | Shut down on January 25, 2025, due to “critical safety concerns,” barely a month after resuming operations in December 2024. |
| Kaduna Refinery | Under Rehabilitation | No production recorded. |
The inability of the public refineries to contribute significantly continues to heavily influence Nigeria’s import dependence, despite the positive progress made by the private sector.
4. Consumption Trends for Other Key Fuels
Beyond PMS, the report detailed the daily consumption of other essential petroleum products:
Diesel (Automotive Gas Oil): 17.13 million litres per day
Aviation Fuel (Jet A-1): 2.61 million litres per day
Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG): 6,095 metric tonnes per day
These figures underscore Nigeria’s continued heavy reliance on refined petroleum products across the transportation, aviation, and household energy sectors.
5. Overall Refining Capacity Utilization
The NMDPRA highlighted that the country achieved an overall refining capacity utilization rate of 61.58 per cent. This metric signals improved operational efficiency compared to previous periods characterized by low or near-zero output from the public refineries.
While challenges persist—including technical constraints and limitations in crude oil supply to the refineries—the NMDPRA views the improving utilization rate as a positive reflection of ongoing efforts by both governmental bodies and private operators to stabilize and reposition Nigeria’s downstream petroleum sector for economic stability and job creation.
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