Fresh data from the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) shows that Nigerians spent an estimated ₦1.3 trillion on petrol in June 2025, with demand hitting 1.44 billion litres nationwide.
Lagos topped the list with 205.7 million litres, costing about ₦185.1bn. Ogun came next with 88.7 million litres (₦79.8bn), while Abuja received 77.5 million litres (₦69.8bn). Oyo also featured high on the chart with 72.8 million litres (₦65.5bn). At the lower end of the table, Jigawa got the smallest allocation of 9.4 million litres (₦8.5bn), followed by Ebonyi, Yobe and Bayelsa.
The South-West dominated demand, accounting for 452.9 million litres worth ₦407.7bn. North-Central consumed 247.4 million litres (₦222.4bn), led by Abuja and Niger. North-West followed with 230 million litres (₦207bn), where Kano alone took over ₦61bn worth of fuel. South-South registered 224.9 million litres (₦202.9bn), with Delta and Rivers among the top spenders. North-East had 152.8 million litres (₦137.5bn), largely in Adamawa and Bauchi. South-East recorded the lowest overall consumption with 132.7 million litres (₦119.6bn), led by Anambra.
Aliko Dangote, head of Dangote Group, said Nigerians are paying much less than their West African neighbours, noting that petrol from his refinery sells between ₦815 and ₦820 per litre compared to about ₦1,600 per litre across the region.
Fuel costs had soared after President Bola Tinubu ended subsidies in May 2023, with prices climbing from ₦200/litre to around ₦1,200/litre. Since the Dangote refinery began production last year, pump prices have dropped below ₦900/litre.
Still, many Nigerians argue that petrol remains too expensive, insisting prices should return to the ₦200–₦500 range to ease inflation. Marketers, on the other hand, complain that price reductions have eaten into their profits. Economists warn that the nation’s heavy reliance on petrol — for both transportation and electricity generation — means any shift in price will continue to drive wider inflationary trends.
