Nigeria’s petrol consumption dropped sharply in July 2026, falling by 25% to 35.7 million litres per day (lpd), according to the latest data from the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA). The decline came alongside a 21% drop in domestic Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) supply, which fell from 32.5 million lpd in June to 25.8 million lpd in July.
The NMDPRA July Factsheet showed that total daily petrol receipts also declined by 10%, from 50.6 million lpd in June to 45.5 million lpd. While domestic supply weakened, petrol imports increased by 9%, rising from 18.1 million lpd to 19.7 million lpd during the month. Despite the weaker supply and consumption figures, petrol stock sufficiency improved from 19.7 days to 22.4 days, giving the market a stronger inventory cushion.
Other petroleum products recorded mixed trends during the month. Diesel receipts surged by 46% to 23.6 million lpd, driven largely by the return of imports, which rose to 7.9 million lpd from zero in June. However, diesel consumption fell by 8% to 14.7 million lpd. Aviation fuel demand also dropped significantly, declining by 41% to 1.7 million lpd, while Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) consumption moved in the opposite direction, rising 7% to 4.4 million lpd.
The data also highlighted the growing role of the Dangote Refinery in Nigeria’s domestic fuel supply chain. The refinery produced an average of 25.9 million lpd of petrol in July, with 25.8 million lpd recorded as domestic receipts. It also produced 19.1 million lpd of diesel and 15.6 million lpd of aviation fuel, while exporting portions of its output to international markets.
The July figures come as Nigeria continues efforts to strengthen domestic refining and reduce its dependence on imported petroleum products. Domestic crude supplies to local refineries reached 53.7 million barrels between April and June 2026, representing 97.4% of the targeted supply for the period, according to the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC). With local refining capacity expanding and crude production remaining above 1.5 million barrels per day, developments in petrol consumption and supply will remain closely watched as Nigeria’s downstream oil sector continues to adjust.
source: nairametrics
