Nigeria’s downstream petroleum regulator has approved six oil marketers to import a combined 830,000 metric tonnes of petrol in the fourth quarter of 2026.
The decision extends a permit structure that has been in place since the beginning of the year, even as the Dangote refinery increases domestic supply.
The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) issued the approvals on September 18, retaining the same beneficiaries from the previous allocation round: Matrix Energy, AA Rano, AYM Shafa, NIPCO, Pinnacle Oil and Bono Energy.
The latest allocation continues the year’s steady increase.
The six companies shared 180,000 tonnes in the first quarter, before the allocation rose to 720,000 tonnes in the second and exceeded 800,000 tonnes in the third.
That makes this the fourth consecutive quarterly increase, even as the regulator’s figures show that imports are playing a smaller role overall.
NMDPRA data reported by The Guardian showed that domestic refiners supplied nearly 80% of Nigeria’s petrol in the first half of 2026, while imports accounted for just over 20%. Similarly, first-quarter figures showed domestic refineries covering roughly 76.7% of petrol supply, as imports fell by about 60% year-on-year.
The timing is notable: the approvals come amid an ongoing legal dispute. Dangote Petroleum Refinery has asked the Federal High Court to void import licences it considers unnecessary given domestic capacity, with the case due back in court on October.
As reported, the refinery argues that continued import permits undercut a facility built specifically to end Nigeria’s reliance on imported fuel.
Administrator and Writer
