News
Nigeria imports 828m litres of petrol to avert nationwide scarcity
Fuel security slowed in October as the Dangote Petroleum Refinery supplied only an average of 17.1 million litres per day of the nation’s petrol needs, forcing the country to rely heavily on imports despite earlier hopes of self-sufficiency. The Federal Government, through its Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, revealed this.
The regulator, in its just-released October 2025 Fact Sheet on the state of the midstream and downstream sector, disclosed that the Dangote refinery supplied only 512.4 million litres of petrol in October, far below the 1.5 billion litres required to meet the country’s monthly demand. This left imported refined products to fill the gap, contributing an average of 27.6 million litres daily.
The report obtained by our correspondent on Sunday showed that marketers had to import a total of 828 million litres of petrol during the month to meet the national daily supply requirement of 50 million litres. It also showed that national petrol consumption rose to 56.74 million litres per day, indicating a sustained increase in demand despite efforts to promote greater domestic production.
The figures reaffirmed a persistent pattern in which imported petrol remains Nigeria’s dominant supply source, despite the commencement of operations at the Lekki-based Dangote Refinery in September 2024. The development also comes despite repeated assurances by officials of the Dangote Refinery that its output would be sufficient to meet the country’s petrol demand.
On November 1, 2025, officials of the refinery reaffirmed their commitment to ensuring a steady and uninterrupted supply of petrol and diesel across the country. They stated that its production output has now surpassed the nation’s daily consumption.
The Group Chief Branding and Communications Officer of Dangote Industries Limited, Anthony Chiejina, in a statement, said the refinery was currently loading over 45 million litres of Premium Motor Spirit and 25 million litres of diesel daily, volumes that exceed the country’s demand. “Our refinery is currently loading over 45 million litres of PMS and 25 million litres of diesel daily, which exceeds Nigeria’s demand,” he said.
These domestic assurances may have encouraged the Federal Government to consider slamming a 15 per cent import duty on all imported refined petrol and diesel products. Recall that on October 30, 2025, President Bola Tinubu approved the introduction of 15 per cent ad-valorem import duty on petrol and diesel imports into Nigeria.
In a letter dated October 21, 2025, reported publicly on October 30, 2025, and addressed to the Federal Inland Revenue Service and the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, Tinubu directed immediate implementation of the tariff as part of what the government described as a “market-responsive import tariff framework.”
The initiative was aimed at protecting local refineries and stabilising the downstream market, but it is likely to raise pump prices. However, following push-back from operators and concerns over supply stability, the policy was reversed and its implementation suspended until the first quarter of 2026.
The newly released data has now laid bare the true state of the industry, revealing that Dangote Refinery still fell short of the required supply targets in the same month the government announced the import tax.
The regulator explained that domestic supply volumes were computed from disport or discharged figures combined with refinery truck-outs, while import volumes were based on shore-receipt data from depots. It added that the figures were reconciled for the period between August 2024 and September 2025, noting that October data was still being finalised.
“Domestic supply volumes are based on disport/discharged figures + refinery truck-outs. Import volumes are based on shore receipt figures at depots. This data is based on reconciliation for Aug. 2024-Sep. 2025. October data yet to be reconciled,” it said.
Figures from the NMDPRA also provided a clearer picture of the Dangote Refinery’s performance over one year. Between October 2024 and October 2025, the refinery supplied an average of 18.03 million litres of PMS per day, barely half of its planned daily output of 35 million litres.
The shortfall highlights the widening gap between projected and actual production at the 650,000-barrel-per-day facility, whose ramp-up has been closely tied to the government’s push to cut dependence on imported fuel. The plant had projected 35 million litres/day, but between October 2024 and October 2025, it averaged 18.03 million litres/day, less than 52 per cent of its target.
Output climbed steadily towards the end of 2024, reaching about 9.5 million litres per day in December, and then surged to 18 million litres daily in January 2025. The refinery recorded its highest performance in February 2025, supplying 25 million litres per day, its strongest showing and the closest it came to meeting half of the country’s petrol demand.
However, the momentum softened in subsequent months. Supply dipped to 23 million litres per day in March and 22 million litres in April, followed by another drop to 18 million litres in May and about 16.5 million litres in June. The refinery recovered slightly to 19.8 million litres in July but slipped again to 17.6 million litres in August.
By September and October 2025, Dangote’s output had stabilised at 17.1 million litres per day, significantly below its planned 35-million-litre daily supply target and insufficient to close the widening gap in national petrol demand.
Commenting, the President of the Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Owners Association of Nigeria, Billy Gillis‑Harry, said the association remains fully supportive of the Dangote Refinery project, but insists that the latest industry data confirms Nigeria is still far from achieving adequate in-country production to meet daily petrol demand.
“We are not against Dangote at any time. We want the refinery to succeed because it would be the best thing to happen to this country and to Africa,” the PETROAN President said.
“However, our position is that every part of the industry should be growing just as the refinery is growing. Every part of the industry should add value and contribute its quota to the growth of our economy.”
He noted that despite the refinery’s efforts, the data released by the regulator shows that current domestic output is not yet sufficient to meet national consumption. “The reality is that at this time, we cannot say there is enough in-country production to meet our daily demands. But we still need to patronise Dangote to encourage the refinery,” he said.
The PETROAN official added that the figures in the report justify the association’s earlier warning that petrol prices would have risen sharply if the Federal Government had proceeded with the proposed 15 per cent import duty on refined petroleum products.
“This data just confirms the price increase we predicted if the government had gone ahead with the 15 per cent import duty tariff,” he said.
The report also shows a significant decline in national petrol sufficiency. While Nigeria maintained an average of 20 days of PMS sufficiency between October and December 2024, sufficiency crashed to 9 days in October 2025, comprising 7 days of inland stock and 2 days of marine stock.
This worsening trend increases the risk of supply shocks in the event of import delays, bad weather at ports, or forex disruptions. Diesel and aviation fuel, however, recorded more comfortable sufficiency levels at 38 days and 35 days, respectively.
PUNCH
A Police Inspector, Dr. Obodo Paul Ikechukwu, has reportedly died after he was involved in a fatal road accident allegedly involving a police convoy in Enugu State.
The deceased, who hailed from Nkpologu in Enugu State, was serving in the Operations Department of the Enugu State Police Headquarters at the time of the incident.
Details surrounding the circumstances of the accident remain unclear, but sources said the inspector was fatally injured after being struck by a vehicle in a police convoy.
Dr. Obodo, who was also a PhD holder, was described by colleagues and associates as a dedicated officer whose death has come as a shock to members of the police command and his community.
As of the time of filing this report, the Enugu State Police Command had not issued an official statement on the incident, while further details are being awaited.
The Spiritual Director of the Adoration Ministry Enugu, , has offered prayers for , praying for God’s favour, protection, and victory as the state approaches the coming elections.
Speaking during a church gathering, Mbaka declared that Governor Mbah would succeed, expressing confidence that God, whom he said had begun a great work through the governor, would bring it to completion.
“It shall be well with Peter Mbah; may the favour of God be with him. We back him with our prayers. The Adoration family throws our prayers around him, that he will succeed, in the name of Jesus. May God grant him the power of victory at the end of the whole election,” Mbaka said.
The cleric further expressed hope that Mbah’s leadership would bring joy to the Igbo people, the people of Enugu State, and the Church, adding that the Igbo economy could witness greater advancement under his administration.
According to Mbaka, the progress recorded so far gives hope that greater achievements lie ahead, stressing that God would perfect the work already begun.
His remarks come as political activities continue to gather momentum ahead of the forthcoming elections.
ENUGU — Governor Peter Mbah has directed the Enugu State Emergency Management Agency (ESEMA) to provide immediate relief materials and other palliative support to two families displaced by the fire that razed a two-storey building at No. 22 Church Road, Asata, Enugu, on Saturday.
The governor’s directive followed reports by Everydaynewsngr that the inferno destroyed two flats and consumed household property, valuables, and important documents belonging to the affected families, leaving them homeless.
The General Manager of ESEMA is expected to assess the extent of the damage and coordinate the distribution of emergency relief items to ease the hardship faced by the victims while further interventions are considered.
Residents of the area welcomed the governor’s swift response, describing it as a demonstration of compassion and responsible leadership at a difficult time for the affected families.
One of the victims, an employee of a higher institution in Enugu State who is said to be approaching retirement, had lamented that the fire wiped out decades of savings and destroyed all his household belongings, including vital documents and certificates.
No lives were lost in the incident, while the cause of the fire is yet to be determined. Authorities are expected to investigate the circumstances surrounding the outbreak as affected families begin the difficult task of rebuilding their lives.
The state government urged residents to remain safety conscious and report fire emergencies promptly to relevant agencies to minimise damage and loss of property.
By Our Reporter
Stakeholders in Nigeria’s real estate industry, alongside Golden Land Estate Ventures Limited, have called for urgent reforms to strengthen professionalism, transparency, and investor confidence in the sector.
The call was contained in a communiqué issued on Monday in Enugu following the company’s 2026 Mid-Year Seminar/Luncheon, held on Friday, July 3, at Wendy’s Place. The seminar, themed “Next-Level Real Estate Practices,” brought together real estate developers, chief executive officers, realtors, marketers, investors, and other stakeholders from the South-East to examine emerging industry trends, challenges, and practical strategies for sustainable growth.
According to the communiqué, participants unanimously adopted several resolutions after extensive deliberations.
Among the key resolutions was a call for stronger government action against the multiple sale of land. Participants urged the Federal, State, and Local Governments to strengthen land administration policies and impose stringent sanctions on communities and individuals involved in the fraudulent sale of the same parcel of land to multiple buyers.
They noted that such practices continue to erode investor confidence, fuel land-related litigation, and discourage genuine investment in the real estate sector.
The stakeholders also stressed the need to promote professionalism and healthy competition within the industry. They maintained that competition should be driven by integrity, innovation, quality service delivery, and professionalism rather than unhealthy rivalry, misinformation, or actions capable of damaging the reputation of fellow practitioners.
They further encouraged industry leaders to embrace collaboration as a means of promoting collective growth and enhancing public confidence in the sector.
The communiqué also emphasised the importance of honesty and transparency in dealings with clients. Participants urged real estate practitioners to refrain from making false claims, exaggerating property values, misrepresenting estate locations or approvals, or giving unrealistic assurances merely to secure transactions.
They insisted that prospective buyers should be provided with accurate, verifiable, and complete information before making investment decisions.
On service delivery, the seminar called on real estate developers and chief executives to establish effective internal controls to eliminate the overselling or double allocation of plots. Developers were also urged to ensure prompt allocation of purchased lands and timely issuance of all necessary documentation.
According to the communiqué, efficient service delivery is critical to sustaining customer trust and improving the credibility of the industry.
The participants also called on government agencies, industry regulators, professional bodies, community leaders, developers, and practitioners to work together in building a transparent, accountable, and investment-friendly real estate environment that protects property buyers and supports sustainable national development.
Golden Land Estate Ventures Limited reaffirmed its commitment to promoting ethical business practices, professional excellence, continuous capacity development, and responsible real estate investment in Nigeria.
The communiqué was signed by Comrade Damian Ogudike and Mr. Ikechukwu Eze, directors of Golden Land Estate Ventures Limited, on behalf of the company’s board. It was also drafted and endorsed by the seminar’s resource persons, Mrs. Amaka Dim of Exotic Landlady Estate and Miss Blessing Anene of BuildWise Solution Centre Estate.
By Our Correspondent
ENUGU — Two families were left homeless on Saturday after a fire destroyed two flats in a two-storey building located at No. 22 Church Road, Asata, in Enugu metropolis.
The fire, which started at about 10 a.m., reportedly broke out after the occupants of the affected upper-floor flats had left for their daily activities.
Although the cause of the fire was yet to be ascertained as of the time of filing this report, eyewitness Tony Iroji said the inferno completely destroyed household items and other valuables in the affected apartments.
One of the victims, who returned home while the building was engulfed in flames, reportedly collapsed after seeing the extent of the damage. He was revived by sympathisers at the scene.
The victim, said to be an employee of one of the higher institutions in Enugu State and nearing retirement, lamented that years of hard work had been wiped out by the incident.
According to him, the fire destroyed all his household property, including important documents and certificates, leaving him with no option but to relocate his family to his ancestral home.
“All I have worked for all these years is gone,” he said in tears.
No life was lost in the incident, but residents appealed to the Enugu State Government, emergency management agencies and public-spirited individuals to come to the aid of the affected families, even as they urged the authorities to investigate the cause of the fire.
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