Nigeria continues to import massive amounts of petrol as its three government-owned refineries; Port Harcourt, Warri, and Kaduna remain inactive. In November 2025, the country brought in at least 1.5 billion litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), according to the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA).

Industry experts say the high import levels are because the Dangote refinery is currently the only active petrol producer. The NMDPRA granted licences for NNPC and other marketers to import up to 52 million litres per day to meet demand.

Chinedu Ukadike of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) said functional government refineries would reduce the need for imports. “NNPC’s refineries are not working, so importation is necessary to avoid shortages and price spikes,” he explained.

IPMAN and PETROAN leaders urged the government to declare a state of emergency on the idle refineries and accelerate their rehabilitation. NNPC, meanwhile, is exploring partnerships with technical experts to restore efficiency rather than sell the facilities.

Despite billions spent on past rehabilitation efforts, the government refineries remain largely unproductive. Until they are fully operational, Nigeria will continue to rely heavily on imported petrol, leaving the country exposed to global supply fluctuations and domestic price pressures.