Nigeria’s petrol consumption drops to 56.9m litres daily

Nigeria’s average daily consumption of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), com­monly known as petrol, fell to 56.9 million litres in Feb­ruary 2026, down from the 60.2 million litres recorded in January, according to new industry data released by the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petro­leum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA).

The figures reflect changing supply patterns in the country’s down­stream petroleum sector as domestic refining capacity gradually expands, reports Daily Independent.

The data showed that petrol supply from the Dan­gote Refinery also declined during the same period, dropping to 36.5 million litres per day in February from 40.1 million litres per day in January.

Overall domestic petrol supply experienced an even steeper fall, decreasing to 39.6 million litres per day in February compared to 64.9 million litres per day in the preceding month.

The development sug­gests continued adjustments within Nigeria’s fuel distri­bution chain as the market responds to evolving produc­tion and supply realities.

Meanwhile, the report revealed a different trend in the diesel market, where domestic supply recorded a noticeable increase.

Average daily supply of Automotive Gas Oil (AGO), commonly known as diesel, rose to 24.4 million litres in February, up from 18.9 mil­lion litres in January.

The increase was large­ly supported by production from modular refineries and the evacuation of pre­viously refined diesel from some state-owned facilities.

Among the modular re­fineries operating during the period, the Walter­Smith Refinery ran at about 59.66 percent capaci­ty utilisation, supplying ap­proximately 0.112 million litres of diesel per day.

The Edo Refinery and Petrochemicals Company recorded one of the high­est utilisation rates at 81.66 percent, delivering around 0.085 million litres daily, while the Aradel Refinery operated at 34.47 percent capacity, supplying roughly 0.171 million litres per day.

However, two modular facilities — the OPAC Re­finery and Duport Refinery — remained shut during the month.

The latest figures illustrate a transitional phase in Nigeria’s down­stream sector as the coun­try gradually shifts toward increased local refining, while still grappling with supply fluctuations and ongoing refinery rehabili­tation projects.