Nigeria’s reliance on imported petrol has surged, reversing progress toward energy independence. Data from the NMDPRA shows daily petrol imports jumped from 5.9 million litres in May to 18.1 million litres in June—a 207% increase.

Simultaneously, domestic daily supply, primarily from the Dangote Petroleum Refinery, fell by 21.7% to 32.5 million litres in June. While the Dangote refinery reported an average production of 39.1 million litres per day, a portion of this output was diverted to exports and inventory build-up. This supply volatility, coupled with a renewed legal battle between the Dangote refinery and regulators over import licensing, has created uncertainty among fuel marketers and placed renewed pressure on Nigeria’s foreign exchange market.