Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja
The Dangote Petroleum Refinery supplied about 5.84 billion litres of petrol to the Nigerian market in the first five months of 2026, accounting for about 81.4 per cent of total supply, a THISDAY trend analysis of statistics from the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) for the period has shown.
This is as the legal battle instituted by the Dangote Refinery over the continued importation of the product into the country gathers momentum in Nigerian courts.
A review of supply data for January to May showed that while the refinery supplied approximately 5.836 billion litres of petrol during the period, oil marketers imported about 1.330 billion litres, bringing total market supply to roughly 7.166 billion litres.
Further checks indicated that for every litre of imported petrol, Dangote supplied about 4.4 litres, reinforcing the refinery’s growing dominance of Nigeria’s downstream market.
According to the data, the refinery supplied an average of 40.1 million litres per day in January, translating to about 1.243 billion litres for the month, while marketers imported 24.8 million litres daily or approximately 768.8 million litres during the same period.
This means that during that month, Dangote accounted for 61.8 per cent of combined supply, while imports represented 38.2 per cent. Besides, national petrol consumption averaged 60.2 million litres per day during the month, while the refinery operated at 61.27 per cent capacity utilisation.
In February, the data showed that Dangote supplied 36.6 million litres daily, equivalent to about 1.025 billion litres for the month, while imports plunged to 3 million litres per day or 84 million litres in total. The refinery’s share of market supply rose sharply to 92.4 per cent, leaving imports with just 7.6 per cent. Consumption averaged 56.9 million litres daily, while capacity utilisation increased significantly to 78.24 per cent.
The figures come amid an ongoing court case initiated by the Dangote Refinery seeking to halt the issuance of import licences for petrol and other refined petroleum products that can be sufficiently produced locally. The refinery has argued that continued importation undermines investments, discourages domestic refining and weakens the country’s drive towards energy independence.
Also, Dangote and supporters of the refinery’s position contend that by banning imports, Nigeria would conserve scarce foreign exchange, create jobs and deepen industrialisation. They maintain that allowing substantial imports into a market where local production capacity exists sends the wrong signal to investors.
However, the oil marketers and other stakeholders opposed to a complete halt in imports have argued that maintaining access to foreign supplies remains necessary to guarantee competition and prevent excessive market concentration.
According to them, allowing multiple suppliers helps ensure price discovery, protects consumers from potential supply disruptions and prevents a situation in which a single dominant refinery effectively controls the market. A fully liberalised downstream sector, they argue, should permit marketers to source products from any supplier, local or foreign, provided they meet regulatory requirements and offer competitive pricing.
Similarly, according to them, imports provide an important balancing mechanism and ensure that supply remains stable whenever local production falls below national demand. The outcome of the legal dispute is expected to shape the future structure of Nigeria’s downstream petroleum sector.
Still on the NMDPRA data, in March, Dangote supplied 34.2 million litres per day, amounting to approximately 1.060 billion litres during the month. Marketers imported 5.9 million litres daily or about 182.9 million litres in total. During that month, Dangote’s share of supply stood at 85.3 per cent compared to imports’ 14.7 per cent. Also, national consumption averaged 47.3 million litres daily, while refinery utilisation climbed further to 93.62 per cent.
In April, the refinery supplied 40.7 million litres daily or approximately 1.221 billion litres during the month, while imports stood at 3.7 million litres daily, translating to about 111 million litres. Dangote accounted for 91.7 per cent of total supply, while imports represented 8.3 per cent, with national consumption averaging 51.1 million litres daily and the refinery operating at 99.22 per cent utilisation.
In the same vein, in May, the Dangote Refinery supplied 41.5 million litres daily, equivalent to approximately 1.287 billion litres during the month, while imports stood at 5.9 million litres daily or about 182.9 million litres in total.
Dangote’s market share for the month stood at 87.5 per cent compared to imports’ 12.5 per cent, while national consumption averaged 47.4 million litres daily. The refinery utilisation reached 101.25 per cent, the highest so far since it started operation.
Overall, the analysis showed that the refinery’s capacity utilisation rose steadily from 61.27 per cent in January to 101.25 per cent in May, underscoring the increasing role of the facility in meeting domestic fuel demand.
Over the same period, imports declined dramatically from 768.8 million litres in January to 84 million litres in February before fluctuating between 111 million litres and 182.9 million litres in subsequent months.
The data further showed that Dangote exceeded imported volumes by about 474.3 million litres in January, 940.8 million litres in February, 877.3 million litres in March, 1.110 billion litres in April and 1.104 billion litres in May, highlighting the widening gap between local refining output and imported supplies.