The average daily supply of Automotive Gas Oil (AGO), commonly known as diesel, rose by 84.3 per cent to 18.8 million litres per day (ML/D) in May from 10.2 ML/D in April 2026.
According to the latest data released by the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Authority (NMDPRA), there was zero import of diesel as Dangote Refinery and local producers dominated the market in May. This is contrary to the market trend in April, when an average of 1.7 million litres of diesel supplied daily to the market came from imports.
Diesel imports into the country this year recorded its peak of 15.9 million litres per day in February. Imports dropped drastically to 6.4 million litres per day in March before crashing further to 1.7 million litres per day in April.
The NMDPRA Factsheet for May 2026 highlights a significant shift in Nigeria’s fuel market, reflecting a crash in imports and a massive increase in domestic production, primarily driven by Dangote Refinery and local producers.
The data, however, showed that daily consumption of diesel dropped by 7.5 per cent from 17.3 million litres per day in April to 16.0 million litres per day in May.
Petrol Supply Rises 6.8 per cent to 47.4 ML/D
According to the data, the average daily supply of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), also known as petrol, rose by 6.8 per cent from 44.4 million litres per day in April to 47.4 million litres per day in May 2026.
Petrol imports rose by 59.5 per cent from 3.7 million litres per day in April to 5.9 million litres per day in May.
Despite the rise in imports, domestic producers, led by Dangote Refinery, dominated supply to the market, rising from 40.7 million litres per day in April to 41.5 million litres per day in May. This means 87.6 per cent of the total petrol supply came from domestic supply during the period under review.
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PMS consumption saw a 9.4 per cent drop from 51.1 million litres per day in April to 46.3 million litres per day in May.
The NMDPRA data showed that the average daily supply of Aviation Turbine Kerosene (ATK) also saw an increase of 38.5 per cent from 2.6 million litres per day in April to 3.6 million litres per day in May. Daily consumption of aviation fuel also rose by 24 per cent from 2.5 million litres per day to 3.1 million litres per day in May
Crude Oil Receipts by Refineries
The NMDPRA data showed that crude oil receipts by the domestic refineries recorded a slight drop from 5.6 per cent to 578,000 barrels per day in May from 612,000 barrels per day in April. Despite decreased crude receipts, refiners increased output of key petroleum products, particularly diesel, indicating stronger operational efficiency and utilization rates.
The data showed that a total of 17.92 million barrels were received as feedstock by domestic refineries, of which 15.84 million barrels came from local crude producers, while 2.08 million barrels came from imports in May.
The data indicates that in the last five months (January to May 2026), the domestic refineries have received a total of 79.85 million barrels of crude feedstock, with domestic producers dominating the supply share. This highlights the increasing share of local producers in the supply of feedstock to the domestic refineries.
Victor Ezeja is a Nigerian journalist skilled in producing insightful news analyses, feature stories, and interviews that simplify complex issues and drive informed public discourse. His work combines rigorous research, balanced reporting, and compelling storytelling to highlight developments shaping industries and society. Victor, who holds a Master's Degree in Mass Communication, specializes in energy, aviation, business, and economic reporting. He can be reached via @VICTOREZEJA on X