The Federal Government has revealed that Nigeria’s daily petrol consumption now stands at 50 million litres, with local refineries supplying half of the demand. The remaining 25 million litres are imported to prevent scarcity in the downstream sector.
Speaking after a stakeholders’ meeting in Abuja, the Executive Director of Distribution Systems, Storage, and Retailing Infrastructure at the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Mr. Ogbugo Ukoha, clarified that none of the companies engaged in local refining are involved in importation.
He noted that before the removal of the petrol subsidy in May 2023, daily petrol consumption averaged 66 million litres. However, the policy change led to a decline, stabilizing at around 50 million litres per day.
To enhance safety and protect infrastructure, the NMDPRA has announced a ban on tankers with a capacity of 60,000 litres from transporting petrol and other petroleum products, effective March 1, 2025.
Despite opposition from the National Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO), which claims the ban will affect over 2,000 trucks worth more than ₦300 billion, the decision stands.
According to Ukoha, the high-capacity tankers have contributed to an increase in petrol tanker fires and significantly impacted road conditions.
“In today’s meeting, which included DSS, FEMA, the Federal Fire Service, FRSC, NATO, NUPENG, MEMAN, PETROAN, IPMAN, DAPMAN, SON, and ONSA, it was resolved that from March 1, 2025, any truck exceeding 60,000 litres will not be permitted to load at any depot.
Additionally, by the fourth quarter of 2025, petroleum product transportation will be restricted to trucks with a maximum capacity of 45,000 litres,” Ukoha stated.
