By Kabiru Abdulrauf.
In a significant shift for Nigeria’s energy sector, the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) has announced a major decline in the country’s importation of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), commonly known as petrol.
According to the Authority’s Chief Executive Officer, Farouk Ahmed, daily PMS imports have dropped from 44.6 million litres in August 2024 to just 14.7 million litres as of April 13, 2025. The steep 30 million litre reduction—representing a 67% decrease—is credited to increased domestic production from both large-scale and modular refineries.
Speaking during the Meet-the-Press briefing organized by the Presidential Communications Team at the State House in Abuja, Ahmed attributed the transformation to the gradual restart of the Port Harcourt Refining Company in late November, alongside contributions from smaller modular refineries.
“After contributing virtually nothing in August, local plants delivered 26.2 million litres per day in early April,” Ahmed stated. “This marks a massive leap from just 3.4 million litres recorded in September.”
Local supply of PMS has increased by an impressive 670% within the eight-month period, highlighting the growing capacity of Nigeria’s refining infrastructure. However, Ahmed cautioned that while progress has been made, the country’s total PMS supply only surpassed the government’s 50 million litre per day consumption target on two occasions—once in November (56 million litres) and again in February (52.3 million litres).
March saw a slight dip to 51.5 million litres, and the first half of April recorded a further decline to 40.9 million litres per day.
Ahmed emphasized that the Authority remains committed to balancing imports with actual national demand, issuing import licenses strictly based on supply requirements.
The reduction in PMS imports marks a positive step in Nigeria’s ongoing quest for energy self-sufficiency and reduced reliance on foreign fuel, potentially saving billions in foreign exchange and creating more local jobs within the petroleum sector.
