Federal government and internationaloil companies boost crude deliveries to Dangote refinery and other plants by 103% in four months

The federal government, through the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) and the International Oil Companies (IOCs) operating in Nigeria, raised the amount of crude oil delivered to domestic refineries—chiefly the Dangote Refinery—by more than 103 percent between January and April 2026, THISDAY reports.

An analysis of data released by the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) yesterday indicates that locally supplied crude to domestic refineries increased from 8.83 million barrels in January to 17.96 million barrels in April, a growth of 103.4 percent.

By contrast, imported crude and feedstock delivered to the refineries fell sharply, dropping from 9.43 million barrels in March to just 0.41 million barrels in April, a decline of roughly 95.6 percent.

The figures highlight a significant shift in Nigeria’s downstream petroleum sector, as the Dangote refinery relies increasingly on domestically sourced crude for producing refined products, particularly Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), commonly known as petrol.

Overall crude receipts by domestic refineries amounted to 20.92 million barrels in March but fell to 18.37 million barrels in April. Nevertheless, the composition of refinery feedstock changed markedly over the four‑month period.

NMDPRA data also reveal a substantial rise in local petrol supply, reflecting higher output from the Dangote refinery, which remains the sole producer of PMS in Nigeria.

According to the report, domestic petrol supply grew from 34.2 million litres per day in March to 40.7 million litres per day in April, an increase of about 19 percent. At the same time, volumes of imported petrol products fell from 5.9 million litres per day in January to 3.7 million litres per day in April, a reduction of roughly 37.3 percent.

The data suggest that locally refined petrol is progressively displacing imported fuel in the Nigerian market as the Dangote refinery expands its output.

The NMDPRA report shows that the Dangote refinery’s average capacity utilisation reached 99.12 percent in April, with the plant operating at 100 percent utilisation “for most of the days in April.”

The sharp rise in crude allocation to domestic refineries reflects improved cooperation among upstream producers, regulators and refiners after ongoing concerns about insufficient crude supply for local processing.

This increase in domestic refining occurred against a backdrop of higher global crude prices, driven by geopolitical tensions involving Iran and the United States.

The NMDPRA report notes that Brent crude averaged $120.55 per barrel in April, while international petrol prices climbed to $1,074.97 per metric tonne during the same month. The rise in global oil prices translated into higher domestic petrol prices across Nigeria despite the growth in local refining activity.

Average pump prices recorded in April were N1,271.50 per litre in Lagos, N1,326 per litre in Abuja, N1,340 in Kano and N1,371.50 in Maiduguri. Maximum retail prices reached N1,400 per litre in Sokoto and N1,413 per litre in Maiduguri.

Even with the price increase, petrol demand remained relatively resilient. The NMDPRA reported that average daily petrol truck‑out into the domestic market was 51.1 million litres in April, slightly above the agency’s benchmark national consumption estimate of 50 million litres per day.

Petrol production averaged 53.6 million litres daily during the month, while domestic PMS supply stood at 40.7 million litres daily. Diesel production averaged 23.6 million litres per day, and aviation fuel production was 22.9 million litres per day.

Nigeria’s fuel reserve position stayed stable during the period despite volatility in international oil markets. The report indicates that average stock sufficiency levels in April were 18 days for petrol, 39 days for diesel and 70 days for aviation fuel.

The three modular refineries currently operating—WalterSmith Refinery, Edo Refinery and Aradel Holdings—continued to produce diesel throughout the month.

Collectively, the modular refineries supplied an average of 0.559 million litres of diesel per day in April. WalterSmith operated at 56.14 percent capacity utilisation, producing 0.250 million litres of diesel daily; Edo Refinery achieved 79.20 percent utilisation with an output of 0.086 million litres daily; and Aradel operated at 33.95 percent utilisation, generating 0.181 million litres daily.

In the gas sector, total average gas supply reached 5.142 billion standard cubic feet per day (Bscf/d) in April. Of this, 2.012 Bscf/d was supplied to the domestic market. Gas supplied to the power sector averaged 0.549 Bscf/d, commercial consumers used 0.671 Bscf/d, and gas‑based industries consumed 0.468 Bscf/d.

Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) supply averaged 4,545 metric tonnes per day, while consumption was 4,818 metric tonnes per day. Retail LPG prices ranged from N1,100 to N1,450 per kilogram during the period.