Nigeria’s dependence on imported petrol persisted in 2025, with oil marketers spending N8.96tn on Premium Motor Spirit (petrol) imports between January and December, despite increased investments in domestic refining capacity.
An analysis of the latest foreign trade data released by the National Bureau of Statistics on Thursday showed that petrol, code-named “Motor spirit ordinary,” remained one of the most imported commodities throughout the year, reflecting ongoing supply gaps in the downstream sector.
The NBS said petrol import costs were N8.96tn in 2025, but represented a decline of N6.46tn or about 41.9 per cent from the N15.42tn recorded in 2024, but still stood N1.45tn or roughly 19.3 per cent higher than the N7.51tn posted in 2023 when fuel subsidy was eliminated by the current administration.
This latest development comes days after reported came that Domestic refineries imported crude oil worth N5.734tn between January and December 2025, exposing a deepening supply paradox in the country’s oil sector and an obsession for imports.
The fuel import expenditure came at a time when expectations were high for a decline in reliance on foreign supply following significant investments in local refining.
This trend persisted despite the commencement of operations, steady ramp-up in production and distribution of petrol by domestic refineries, notably the Dangote Petroleum Refinery, alongside state-owned refineries and several modular facilities.
Data from the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority published recently revealed that total petrol consumption stood at 18.97 billion litres in 2025, with 11.85 billion litres, representing 62.47 per cent, supplied through imports.
