Nigeria’s petrol reserve capacity recorded a significant decline in April 2026 despite major improvements in local refining activities, according to the latest industry report released by the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority.
The report revealed that the country’s petrol stock sufficiency dropped from 21.2 days in March to 17.7 days in April, representing a 17 per cent decline, even as domestic fuel production increased sharply during the period.
According to the NMDPRA April Factsheet, the total daily supply of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), commonly known as petrol, rose from 40.1 million litres per day in March to 44.4 million litres per day in April.
A major part of the increase came from local refining activities, particularly from the Dangote Refinery, which supplied the entire domestic PMS volume of 40.7 million litres per day during the month under review.
The regulator disclosed that domestic supply accounted for over 91 per cent of the total petrol supplied nationwide in April, marking a major shift away from import dependence. Petrol imports dropped significantly from 5.9 million litres per day in March to 3.7 million litres per day in April.
Despite the improved local refining output, fuel consumption across the country increased at a faster pace than supply, placing pressure on available reserves and reducing stock sufficiency.
The NMDPRA explained that national petrol consumption climbed by eight per cent during the month, rising from 47.3 million litres per day in March to 51.1 million litres per day in April.
According to the report, the increase in demand was largely driven by stronger trucking activities and sustained commercial and economic operations across different parts of the country.
The agency stated that total PMS demand exceeded the total volume supplied during the month, directly contributing to the reduction in reserve levels despite higher refining output from local sources.
The report further revealed that Dangote Refinery operated at almost full production capacity throughout most of April, while total refinery output reached 53.6 million litres per day, including approximately 17.1 million litres designated for export markets.
The regulator also disclosed that the refinery maintained closing petrol stock levels of about 10.6 million litres at the end of March.
While petrol production improved significantly, diesel supply and reserves also came under pressure during the period.
Automotive Gas Oil (AGO), commonly known as diesel, recorded higher consumption levels as demand increased from 14.5 million litres per day in March to 17.3 million litres per day in April.
At the same time, diesel stock sufficiency dropped sharply from 55.4 days to 39 days, indicating growing pressure on supply buffers within the downstream sector.
The report highlighted that government-owned refineries remained largely inactive during the month.
According to the NMDPRA, the Port Harcourt Refinery recorded no diesel evacuation, while the Warri and Kaduna refineries reported zero production activity throughout April.
Modular refineries including WalterSmith Refinery, Edo Refinery, and Aradel Holdings concentrated mainly on diesel production and collectively supplied about 0.559 million litres per day domestically, with no petrol output recorded from those facilities.
The report also showed rising demand for other petroleum products.
Aviation Turbine Kerosene (ATK), commonly used as aviation fuel, recorded increased consumption, rising from 2.1 million litres per day in March to 2.5 million litres per day in April, although reserve levels remained relatively stable at 70 days.
Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), widely known as cooking gas, witnessed a slight decline in consumption from 5.1 thousand tonnes per day to 4.8 thousand tonnes per day, with stock sufficiency estimated at 13 days.
On crude oil supply, the regulator disclosed that domestic refineries received approximately 0.612 million barrels per day of crude oil in April, slightly below the 0.674 million barrels per day recorded in March.
However, total crude supplied to refineries increased significantly to 18.37 million barrels per day. Out of this figure, domestic crude accounted for 17.96 million barrels per day, while imported crude represented 0.41 million barrels per day.
The NMDPRA also reported improved performance in Nigeria’s gas sector during the period.
Domestic gas supply increased from 4.888 billion standard cubic feet per day in March to 5.142 billion standard cubic feet per day in April, including supplies to the Nigeria LNG.
According to the report, Nigeria LNG Trains 1 to 6 operated at over 89 per cent utilisation capacity during the month, while the Gbaran-Ubie facility exceeded its designed operational capacity by operating at over 107 per cent.
Gas utilisation for power generation averaged 0.549 billion standard cubic feet daily, while commercial and industrial consumption stood at 0.671 and 0.468 billion standard cubic feet respectively.
The report also highlighted progress on major gas infrastructure projects across the country.
The Aiteo-Kaduna-Kano (AKK) gas pipeline project reportedly reached over 93 per cent completion, while the OB3 River Niger Crossing project advanced to nearly 94 per cent completion.
Similarly, the ELPS Midline Compressor project recorded over 94 per cent completion progress during the period under review.
In terms of fuel pricing, the regulator stated that average petrol pump prices ranged between ₦1,284 and ₦1,378 per litre across major cities in April, based on the Nigerian Foreign Exchange Market rate of ₦1,361.22 to one US dollar.
Actual retail prices across filling stations averaged between ₦1,271 and ₦1,372 per litre depending on location and supply conditions.
Meanwhile, global crude oil benchmark Brent crude settled at approximately $120.55 per barrel during the month.
The NMDPRA explained that the latest trends reflect Nigeria’s gradual transition toward stronger domestic refining capabilities and reduced reliance on imported petroleum products, largely driven by increased production from local refineries led by Dangote Refinery.
However, the regulator noted that rising fuel demand and declining reserve levels indicate that supply pressure remains a major challenge despite improvements in local refining output.
