Nigeria continues to import massive quantities of petrol despite the launch of the Dangote Refinery and the restart of the Port Harcourt Refinery.
According to the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), 2.3 billion litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) were imported into the country between September 11 and December 5, 2024.
This comes as a shock, considering the repeated promises from oil marketers and the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) to phase out fuel imports.
The Dangote Refinery, which has a capacity to produce 650,000 barrels per day, began operations on September 15, 2024.
The Port Harcourt Refinery followed on November 26, 2024, with its first batch of petrol hitting the market.
However, NPA data shows that Nigeria’s dependence on imported fuel remains strong, despite these domestic developments.
In just the last three days, 52,000 metric tonnes of petrol — roughly 68.74 million litres — were brought into the country.
Three vessels made the deliveries, docking at Apapa Port, Tin Can Port in Lagos State, and Calabar Port in Cross River State.
On December 3, the vessel Binta Saleh arrived at Apapa Port at 8:12 a.m., carrying 12,000 metric tonnes, which translates to 15.864 million litres of petrol.
The ship was handled by Blue Seas Maritime and offloaded at the Bulk Oil Plant terminal.
The following day, December 4, Shamal delivered 20,000 metric tonnes, or 26.44 million litres, of petrol to Tin Can Port at midnight.
Peak Shipping Agency managed the operation at Terminal KLT Phase 3a.
Today, December 5, the vessel Watson is expected to dock at Calabar Port at 4:52 p.m., with another 20,000 metric tonnes of petrol, equal to 26.44 million litres.
Kach Maritime will oversee the offloading at the Ecomarine Terminal.
This persistent importation raises questions about the effectiveness of Nigeria’s new refineries.
“The situation is concerning,” said an industry analyst who preferred to remain anonymous. “We were told that with Dangote and Port Harcourt refineries coming online, fuel imports would significantly drop. But that hasn’t happened.”
The continued imports come despite a major agreement reached in October 2024.
On October 11, the Nigerian government announced a deal allowing marketers to buy petrol directly from the Dangote Refinery.
This agreement was supposed to end the NNPCL’s control over the refinery’s output, breaking its monopoly.
The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) also struck a deal with the Dangote Refinery for direct petrol sales.
Yet, fuel imports have continued unabated.
Many Nigerians are now questioning why the country is still heavily dependent on foreign petrol, despite having two operational refineries.
Industry experts point to logistics challenges and high domestic demand as possible reasons.
“There’s a lag between production and full market distribution,” said energy consultant Emmanuel Ogbonna. “It takes time to completely phase out imports, but the current numbers are still surprising.”
Meanwhile, Nigerians are watching closely to see if local fuel production will finally meet demand in the coming months.
With billions of naira spent on importing petrol, the government is under pressure to ensure that the refineries fulfill their promise of self-sufficiency.
