Nigeria’s petrol consumption increased in April while domestic refining activity climbed to near full capacity, driven largely by strong production from the Dangote Refinery, according to data released on Wednesday by the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority.
The data showed average daily petrol consumption rose to 51.1 million litres in April, slightly above the government benchmark of 50 million litres per day.
Demand for diesel also increased, reaching 17.3 million litres a day as economic activity and transportation needs continued to grow in Africa’s largest economy.
Domestic refining utilisation averaged 99.1% during the month, with the Dangote refinery operating at full capacity for most of April, the regulator said.
The refinery, owned by Nigerian billionaire Aliko Dangote, has become central to Nigeria’s efforts to reduce dependence on imported fuel and improve local supply.
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Nigeria has historically relied heavily on imported refined petroleum products despite being Africa’s largest crude oil producer, largely because of years of underinvestment and operational problems at state-owned refineries.
According to the NMDPRA data, average daily output in April stood at 53.6 million litres of petrol, 23.6 million litres of diesel and 22.9 million litres of aviation fuel.
Some of the refined products were exported, reflecting growing regional demand and the refinery’s increasing role in supplying fuel markets across West Africa.
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Fuel stock levels, however, remained uneven across products.
Petrol stock cover stood at 18 days, compared with 39 days for diesel and 70 days for aviation fuel, indicating tighter supply conditions in the gasoline market.
Retail petrol prices averaged 1,271 naira ($0.93) per litre in Lagos, Nigeria’s commercial hub on the coast, while prices in the northern city of Maiduguri averaged 1,371 naira per litre.
The price differences reflect transportation costs and regional supply dynamics across the country.
Fuel prices have remained elevated following the removal of petrol subsidies by the Nigerian government, a reform introduced to ease pressure on public finances and attract investment into the downstream petroleum sector.
The regulator said domestic fuel prices were tracking international crude prices, with Brent crude averaging about $120.55 a barrel during the period.
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Meanwhile, all four state-owned refineries operated by NNPC Limited remained shut despite repeated government promises to revive them.
The facilities have a combined refining capacity of 445,000 barrels per day but have been largely inactive for years because of maintenance issues, poor infrastructure and operational inefficiencies.
The growing role of the Dangote refinery is increasingly reshaping Nigeria’s fuel market, helping to improve domestic supply and reduce import dependence at a time when global energy markets remain volatile.
Analysts say sustained high utilisation at the refinery could help stabilise fuel availability and lower pressure on foreign exchange demand linked to petroleum imports, although high global crude prices continue to influence local pump prices.
