The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) has approved fresh permits for the importation of 830,000 metric tonnes of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) for the fourth quarter of 2026, with Matrix Energy, AA Rano and four other major marketers again named among the beneficiaries.
Petroleumprice.ng gathered that the Q4 approvals, issued on September 18, retain the same six-company structure used in the previous major petrol import allocation, effectively keeping Matrix Energy, AA Rano, AYM Shafa, NIPCO, Pinnacle Oil and Bono Energy at the centre of Nigeria’s regulated petrol import window.
The six companies have remained the core beneficiaries of the regulator’s petrol import programme since the first quarter. In March, the companies received a combined 180,000 MT in limited Q1 permits. For Q2, the NMDPRA expanded the allocation to 720,000 MT, while the Q3 programme was subsequently raised to more than 800,000 MT, with the same six companies among the approved PMS importers.
The latest 830,000 MT Q4 approval therefore represents a continuation of the regulator’s strategy of maintaining a defined import window alongside rising domestic refining capacity, rather than opening petrol imports to a broader field of marketers. The six beneficiaries are Matrix Energy, AA Rano, AYM Shafa, NIPCO, Pinnacle Oil and Bono Energy.
The development is particularly significant against the backdrop of the continuing legal dispute between Dangote Petroleum Refinery and the Federal Government over the issuance and renewal of petroleum-product import licences. Dangote is challenging the continued issuance of the permits and has asked the Federal High Court to nullify licences granted by the NMDPRA where, it argues, domestic supply is sufficient. The case is scheduled for further hearing on October 7, 2026.
The latest approvals also come as Dangote Refinery has restricted sales of its petroleum products to the Lagos market, according to industry information available to Petroleumprice.ng. That development adds another layer to the supply dynamics, particularly for marketers seeking alternative sources of PMS as the regulator maintains an import channel despite the expansion of local refining.
The Q4 approval comes despite the substantial reduction in Nigeria’s dependence on imported petrol. NMDPRA data cited in industry reports showed that domestic refineries supplied about 76.7 per cent of total petrol supply in Q1 2026, while petrol imports fell by about 60 per cent year-on-year to roughly 965.5 million litres.
The continued approval of import permits consequently leaves Nigeria’s downstream market operating on a dual-supply structure, with domestic refining providing the bulk of PMS while regulated imports remain available as a supply buffer. The scale of the latest allocation, however, underscores the regulator’s decision to preserve import capacity through the final quarter of the year.