Nigeria’s petrol consumption has surged to record levels, as average daily demand for Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) reached 63.7 million litres in December 2025, according to the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA). The figure significantly exceeds the official 2025 consumption benchmark of 50 million litres per day, highlighting mounting pressure on the country’s downstream supply chain.
Data from NMDPRA’s December downstream sector fact sheet shows that reported petrol consumption is based strictly on volumes trucked into the domestic market, offering a direct reflection of real market demand rather than projections.
Petrol Demand Outpaces Official Benchmarks
In December, Nigeria’s petrol consumption climbed sharply, reversing a dip recorded in the third quarter of 2025. After falling to 43.8 million litres per day in September, demand rebounded strongly in the final quarter, rising to 56.7 million litres in October, 52.9 million litres in November, and peaking at 63.7 million litres in December.
Over the 15-month period from October 2024 to December 2025, average daily petrol consumption stood at 51.9 million litres, underscoring the persistent gap between planning benchmarks and actual truck-out volumes.
For industry analysts, the data suggests that petrol demand remains highly responsive to economic activity, mobility patterns and seasonal factors, making static benchmarks increasingly difficult to sustain.
Local Refining Boosts Petrol Supply
Meanwhile, petrol supply expanded alongside rising demand. NMDPRA reported that total average daily PMS supply reached 74.2 million litres in December 2025, the highest level within the review period.
Notably, domestic petrol supply rose to 32 million litres per day, up from 19.5 million litres in November. The regulator attributed the improvement to significant output gains from the Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals, marking one of the strongest monthly domestic contributions since local refining resumed.
Domestic petrol supply, as defined by NMDPRA, includes volumes received into coastal depots and those trucked directly from local refineries into the market.
Imports Still Stabilise the Market
However, despite the surge in local supply, imports continued to play a dominant stabilising role. In December, imported petrol averaged 42.2 million litres per day, exceeding domestic volumes and reinforcing Nigeria’s ongoing reliance on offshore supply to meet consumption levels.
In November, imports were even higher at 52.1 million litres per day, while domestic supply remained subdued. Together, these inflows supported 29 days of petrol sufficiency nationwide in December, according to the regulator.
The figures illustrate a downstream market in transition one where domestic refining is gaining ground, but imports remain critical for balancing Nigeria’s rapidly growing petrol consumption.