Nigeria’s petrol imports increased by nine per cent in July 2026 as domestic petrol supply fell sharply and national consumption declined by 25 per cent, according to the latest data from the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA).
The NMDPRA’s July 2026 Midstream and Downstream Statistics showed that imported Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), otherwise known as petrol, rose to an average of 19.7 million litres per day in July from 18.1 million litres per day in June.
The increase came as domestic PMS receipts fell by 21 per cent from 32.5 million litres per day in June to 25.8 million litres per day in July.
This is as total daily PMS receipts declined by 10 per cent, from 50.6 million litres in June to 45.5 million litres in July.
Imported petrol also accounted for about 43 per cent of total receipts during the month while domestic sources accounted for about 57 per cent.
The development represents a shift from the stronger contribution of domestic refining recorded earlier in the year, with the latest figures showing that imports continued to play a significant role in bridging the gap created by lower domestic supply.
Despite the decline in supply, however, petrol consumption dropped even more sharply during the month.
According to the NMDPRA data, PMS consumption fell by 25 per cent to 35.7 million litres per day in July, compared with 47.4 million litres per day in June.
The regulator measures consumption based on volumes of petroleum products trucked out into the domestic market.
The fall in petrol consumption was accompanied by an improvement in the country’s petrol stock position.
PMS stock sufficiency increased by 14 per cent, rising from 19.7 days in June to 22.4 days in July. This means the available petrol stock was estimated to cover about 22.4 days of consumption at the prevailing rate.
However, the July stock position remained below the 30-day minimum fuel sufficiency threshold reported by the NMDPRA.
The July figures therefore present a mixed picture for Nigeria’s downstream petroleum market: domestic petrol supply weakened and imports increased, but lower consumption helped improve the stock cushion.
The decline in domestic refinery supply also coincided with an eight per cent fall in crude oil receipts by domestic refineries, from 0.632 million barrels per day in June to 0.585 million barrels per day in July.
The latest figures come as Nigeria continues to increase domestic refining capacity and reduce its historical dependence on imported petroleum products, making the renewed increase in PMS imports a significant development in the downstream market.