Dangote Refinery Boosts Petrol Supply as Nigeria’s Imports Fall 26%

Nigeria’s domestic refineries received 683,000 barrels of crude oil per day in August 2026, up 16.75 per cent from 585,000 barrels per day in July. The increase came as Dangote Refinery raised petrol supply by 39 per cent to 35.9 million litres daily and Nigeria’s petrol imports fell 26 per cent to 14.6 million litres per day, according to the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA).

Crude supply rises

The regulator disclosed the figures in its August 2026 Midstream and Downstream Sector Factsheet. It highlighted increased crude availability and higher domestic petrol production during the month. Crude oil supplies to Nigerian domestic refineries increased significantly in August 2026. A related petrol price update noted that Brent crude climbed to $107 per barrel.

Petrol receipts and imports

Nigeria’s average daily petrol receipts rose by 11 per cent to 50.5 million litres per day (ml/d), compared with 45.5ml/d recorded in July. Domestic petrol supply accounted for 35.9ml/d in August, a 39 per cent increase from the 25.8ml/d supplied locally in July. Petrol imports declined by 26 per cent, falling from 19.7ml/d in July to 14.6ml/d in August. Diesel imports fell from 7.9ml/d in July to 1.3ml/d in August. Liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) imports increased from 0.9 million litres per day in July to 1.3ml/d in August.

Dangote refinery output

The Dangote Refinery recorded an average capacity utilisation of 105.21 per cent in August. The refinery produced an average of 41.94ml/d of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), 18.01ml/d of Automotive Gas Oil (AGO), commonly known as diesel, and 24.48ml/d of aviation fuel, also known as ATK. Of its PMS output, 35.87ml/d was supplied to the Nigerian market, while 9.73ml/d was exported. For AGO, domestic receipts stood at 12.37ml/d, while exports reached 8.75ml/d. The refinery recorded 3.07ml/d in domestic ATK receipts, compared with 21.30ml/d exported during the month. It ended August with stocks of 360.4 million litres of PMS, 137.2 million litres of AGO and 133.3 million litres of ATK.

What it means

The latest figures indicate that the Dangote Refinery supplied a larger share of petrol to the domestic market in August. Nigeria’s reliance on imported petrol continued to decline. For Nigerian businesses and consumers, a lower petrol import bill could reduce demand for dollars used to pay for cargoes, though pump prices will still depend on other market factors.