Nigeria’s refining sector recorded a major shift toward domestic crude supply in April 2026, as reliance on imported refinery feedstock weakened sharply amid rising local refinery operations, according to new data released by the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA).
The NMDPRA’s April 2026 factsheet showed that imported crude oil supplied to domestic refineries declined significantly to just 0.41 million barrels during the month, while domestic crude allocation surged to 17.96 million barrels.
The development signals a growing transition in Nigeria’s downstream market, where local crude supply is increasingly supporting refinery operations following sustained output growth from domestic refining facilities, particularly Dangote Petroleum Refinery.
According to the report, total crude received by domestic refineries stood at 18.37 million barrels in April, with domestic supply accounting for nearly the entire volume.
The figures mark a sharp reversal from March 2026, when imported crude supply stood at 9.43 million barrels compared to 11.49 million barrels supplied locally.
Industry analysts say the latest data reflects stronger domestic crude allocation policies, improved refinery integration with upstream producers, and reduced dependence on foreign feedstock procurement.
The report also revealed that domestic refineries operated at an average capacity utilization of 99.12 per cent during April, with Dangote Refinery reportedly achieving 100 per cent utilization for most days of the month.
The rise in refinery activity contributed to stronger local petroleum product output across major fuel categories.
Petrol production averaged 53.6 million litres per day during the period, while diesel production stood at 23.6 million litres daily and aviation fuel output reached 22.9 million litres per day.
Despite the increase in local refining activity, the data showed that Nigeria continued to export significant volumes of refined products. Petrol exports averaged 17.1 million litres per day, while diesel exports stood at 17.8 million litres daily. Aviation fuel exports were the highest at 20.5 million litres per day.
The report further indicated that domestic petrol supply averaged 40.7 million litres per day, below total production volumes, suggesting that refiners continued to maintain a balance between local supply obligations and export commitments.
Meanwhile, national fuel consumption remained elevated in April.
Average daily petrol truck-out reached 51.1 million litres, exceeding the country’s benchmark consumption estimate of 50 million litres per day. Diesel consumption rose to 17.3 million litres daily, while LPG consumption climbed to 4.8 kilotonnes per day.
The NMDPRA data also showed that Nigeria maintained 18 days of petrol sufficiency during the period, while diesel sufficiency stood at 39 days and aviation fuel reserves covered 70 days.
Market observers say the increasing dominance of domestic crude supply could reduce exposure to foreign exchange pressures tied to crude importation and strengthen the economics of local refining if sustained over the long term.
However, they note that continued stability in crude allocation, infrastructure reliability, and market-based pricing mechanisms will remain critical to sustaining refinery utilization levels and reducing Nigeria’s historical dependence on imported petroleum products.