Stakeholders have raised concerns over the suspension of petrol imports in Nigeria as Dangote Refinery now dominates domestic fuel supply, prompting calls for urgent price regulation.
Stakeholders, including energy experts, economists and workers, have raised concerns over the Federal Government’s suspension of petrol imports, urging urgent price regulation as Dangote Petroleum Refinery takes a dominant position in Nigeria’s estimated N14.4tn petrol market. The development signals a major shift in the country’s energy sector as local refining increasingly replaces fuel imports.
According to the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, no petrol import licences have been issued this year because domestic production now meets national demand. Data released in the regulator’s February 2026 fact sheet showed that Dangote refinery accounted for about 92 per cent of Nigeria’s daily petrol supply during the period.
The report indicated that local refineries supplied about 36.5 million litres of petrol per day in February, while imports contributed only three million litres, bringing total national supply to 39.5 million litres daily. The figures represent a significant drop in imports compared with previous months, with Dangote refinery currently the only plant producing petrol in Nigeria, while other modular refineries focus mainly on diesel production. Based on an estimated price of N1,000 per litre and daily consumption of 39.5 million litres, the petrol market is valued at more than N14.4tn annually, although the figure may vary depending on global crude oil prices.
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