NMDPRA Explains Why Fuel Importation Continues Despite Dangote, PH, Warri Refineries' Operations
- The NMDPRA has finally spoken on the issue of ongoing fuel importations despite the presence of local refineries
- The petroleum industry regulator also reacted to recent reports about NNPCL importing over 200 million litres of petrol
- NMDPRA spoke about the quality of fuel imported into the country, in response to the viral video of NNPC fuel burn rates
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The Nigerian petroleum industry regulator – the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) – has spoken on the issue of fuel importation.
The NMDPRA declared that there are yet no laws stopping the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) from importing fuel if local refineries cannot meet Nigeria’s consumption needs.
The Executive Director of Distribution System, Storage, and Retailing Infrastructure, Ogbugo Ukoha, made this statement while speaking to pressmen in Abuja.
Source: Getty Images
Ukoha noted that the local refineries are not yet meeting the national consumption needs, hence the need for oil marketers to keep importing fuel to meet consumption needs.
He explained that after the removal of fuel subsidies, daily consumption declined from 66 million to 50 million litres, but local refineries still cannot meet this daily requirement.
He said;
“What I am saying is that the contribution of local refining towards the sufficiency was less than 60 percent in January and less than 50 percent in February 2025. The shortfall has to be sourced through importation. Without bridging this gap through imports, we would face scarcity.”
NNPCL has not imported fuel in 2025
The NMDPRA ED, however, clarified that the NNPCL has not imported fuel into Nigeria in 2025, the News Nigeria reports.
Ukoha noted that imports are ongoing to meet the shortfalls, but oil marketers that own refineries have not imported premium motor spirit (PMS) this year.
Recall that the NNPC spokesman, Femi Soneye, had earlier issued a statement asserting that NNPCL had not imported PMS in 2025, even though the law permits it to import when necessary.
This was in response to reports that said the NNPCL imported over 200 million litres of petroleum products in January.
Source: Getty Images
On the issue of fuel quality, Mr. Ukoha said that the regulatory body has checks to ensure that all imported petroleum products meet the required standards specified by the Standard Organization of Nigeria (SON) and the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021 before they are sent into the market.
He insisted;
“You must meet those specifications, otherwise we will not let those products be distributed.”
Dangote Refinery moves to stop fuel imports
In related news, the Dangote Petroleum Refinery has moved to stop fuel imports by initiating a N100 billion lawsuit against NMDPRA, NNPCL and five petroleum marketers.
The local refinery asked the court to revoke the import licenses of the marketers and halt the NMDPRA from further issuance of petroleum import licenses.
The marketers insisted in their response that the refinery alone cannot produce sufficient petroleum products for the Nigerian market, hence the need to import.
Proofreading by James, Ojo Adakole, journalist and copy editor at Legit.ng.
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