Petrol imports surge despite rising local refining capacity — CPPE

August 30, 2026

By Udeme Akpan

Nigeria’s petrol imports surged by 233.9 per cent between May and July 2026, despite a significant expansion in domestic refining capacity, raising fresh concerns over the future of local refining and the country’s dependence on imported petroleum products.

The Centre for the Promotion of Private Enterprise, CPPE, disclosed this in a policy brief on rising petroleum-product imports and the future of domestic refining, citing data from the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, NMDPRA.

The data showed that average daily Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), also known as petrol, imports rose to 18.1 million litres in June and 19.7 million litres in July from 5.9 million litres in May 2026.

Petrol imports surge despite rising local refining capacity — CPPE

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