The Federal Government has approved the importation of 830,000 metric tonnes of Premium Motor Spirit, commonly known as petrol, for the fourth quarter of 2026.
The approval by the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority is aimed at strengthening petrol supply during the final months of the year, when demand usually increases because of the Christmas and New Year celebrations.
Industry sources said the import permits were issued to six major petroleum marketers: Matrix Energy, AA Rano, AYM Shafa, NIPCO, Pinnacle Oil and Bono Energy.
The six companies have received import allocations from the regulator throughout the year. Their combined allocation stood at 180,000MT in the first quarter and increased to 720,000MT in the second quarter. The allocation for the third quarter was later raised above 800,000MT.
The latest approval means imported petrol will continue to form part of Nigeria’s fuel supply in the fourth quarter, even as domestic refineries take a larger share of the market.
Data from the NMDPRA showed that locally refined petrol accounted for about 76.7 per cent of total supply in the first quarter of 2026. At the same time, petrol imports dropped by roughly 60 per cent year-on-year to about 965.5 million litres.
The development has renewed debate over the need for petrol imports as local refining capacity expands, particularly with the Dangote Petroleum Refinery producing fuel for the domestic market.
Dangote Refinery is currently challenging the continued issuance and renewal of petrol import licences by the NMDPRA. The company has asked the Federal High Court to cancel import licences where it believes domestic refiners have enough capacity to meet local demand. The case is expected to continue on October 7, 2026.
The fresh import approval also follows reported changes in Dangote Refinery’s distribution arrangements, with industry sources indicating that the refinery has limited the sale of its petroleum products to independent marketers.
Despite the growing contribution of local refineries, the government’s latest decision indicates that imports will remain part of the supply strategy as the country prepares for higher petrol consumption during the festive season.
Dangote Refinery, however, has maintained that it has sufficient products to meet Nigeria’s domestic requirements while also supplying export markets.
