Nigeria’s domestic petrol supply rose 25% in January as the Dangote Petroleum Refinery increased deliveries to an average of about 40 million litres per day, according to data from the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority.
The refinery supplied an average of 40.1 million litres of Premium Motor Spirit, or petrol, per day in January, up from roughly 32 million litres in December. The increase of about eight million litres daily underscores a steady ramp-up in output as the plant moves toward covering a larger share of national fuel demand.
Nigeria’s benchmark for domestic PMS supply stands at 75 million litres per day, the regulator said. With deliveries now exceeding 40 million litres daily, the Dangote facility is accounting for more than half of that reference level.
Average petrol consumption in January stood at 60.2 million litres per day, based on volumes trucked out into the domestic market, the regulator’s primary measure of effective distribution. Imports by Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited and other marketers averaged 24.8 million litres per day.
Total supply into the domestic market averaged 64.9 million litres per day during the month, suggesting that local production is increasingly displacing imports, though foreign cargoes continue to complement domestic output.
The refinery, located in the Lekki Free Zone in Lagos, is designed as a 650,000 barrels-per-day single-train facility, making it the largest of its type globally. The plant has been undergoing a phased ramp-up since commissioning, with the stated aim of reducing Nigeria’s longstanding reliance on imported refined products.
Company officials have said the refinery has reached its full nameplate capacity, describing it as a milestone for a single-train facility of that scale. Management said it has optimised operations at its Crude Distillation Unit and Motor Spirit production block, stabilising steady-state output.
A 72-hour performance test is under way in partnership with UOP, the technology licensor, to validate operational efficiency and confirm compliance with international standards. Successful completion of the test would further cement the refinery’s status as a central pillar of Nigeria’s downstream sector.
In December, the refinery projected it could supply as much as 50 million litres of petrol daily between December 2025 and January 2026. January’s output suggests it is moving closer to that target.
The ramp-up comes against a backdrop of rising petrol demand. The regulator had earlier reported that daily consumption climbed to 63.7 million litres in December 2025, reflecting seasonal pressures and economic activity.
Market observers say the refinery’s increasing contribution could ease pressure on foreign exchange by cutting the volume of imported fuel. Billionaire investor Femi Otedola recently said the naira could strengthen to below N1,000 per dollar before year-end, citing reduced import demand and the refinery’s operational progress.
For policymakers, the latest figures signal incremental progress toward energy self-sufficiency. While imports remain part of the supply mix, domestic production is expanding at a pace that is reshaping the balance of Nigeria’s fuel market.
With output climbing and validation tests under way, attention is now turning to whether the refinery can sustain higher volumes consistently and narrow the gap between domestic supply benchmarks and actual consumption in the months ahead.