The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) has imported over 213 million litres of petrol in the first 12 days of February 2025, despite claims that local refineries are now operational. This has raised concerns among industry experts and policymakers about the country’s continued dependence on fuel imports, even as the Warri and Port Harcourt refineries have reportedly resumed operations.
A confidential report tracking motor tanker vessel movements revealed that between February 1 and February 12, NNPCL imported 159,000 metric tons of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), commonly known as petrol. This translates to approximately 213 million litres.
On February 10 alone, NNPCL received two shipments carrying a combined 99.2 million litres of petrol. Additional shipments on February 8, February 12, and February 5 brought in 26.82 million litres, 50 million litres, and 26.82 million litres, respectively.
Despite the importation of petrol, NNPCL has also brought in over 40 million litres of diesel (Automotive Gas Oil) in February. The company received two shipments on February 3, supplying 15,000 metric tons and 25,000 metric tons, respectively. Other oil and gas firms, including Rainoil, WOSBAB, MENJ, and FRADO, have also received fuel shipments.
Nigeria’s continued reliance on fuel imports comes at a steep cost. Industry data shows that the country spent over N407.4 billion importing 302.7 million litres of petrol and 104.8 million litres of diesel in just 12 days. Energy experts have questioned why NNPCL is still importing large volumes of fuel, especially since Nigeria reportedly spent more than N5.5 trillion on fuel imports between October 2024 and January 2025.
“It is baffling that we are still spending billions on fuel imports when local refineries are supposed to be functioning,” said an industry analyst. “Why is NNPCL still importing when the Port Harcourt and Warri refineries are operational?”
Nigeria’s importation of petroleum products also violates an Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) directive on cleaner fuels. In 2020, ECOWAS leaders set January 2025 as the deadline for all member countries to adopt fuel with a sulphur content of no more than 50 parts per million (ppm) to reduce air pollution.
However, an industry expert accused NNPCL of ignoring this directive by importing fuel with sulphur levels above the limit.
“Nigeria is a leading member of ECOWAS, yet it continues to allow the importation of substandard, high-sulphur fuels that harm the environment,” he said. “This is an embarrassment to the country’s leadership.”
Also Read:
- CBN Maintains N100 ATM Withdrawal Fee for Transactions Below N20,000
- Wale Tinubu Sues Peoples Gazette for N1 Billion Over Report on Oando’s Acquisition of Agip Nigeria
A senior government official also raised concerns over NNPCL’s spending, questioning why the company spent over N126.5 billion to import more than 136.7 million litres of petrol in a single day when Nigeria’s daily petrol consumption is only about 30 million litres.
“NNPCL claims to have restarted the Port Harcourt and Warri refineries, but it is still importing fuel in large quantities. This raises serious questions,” he said.
He called on President Bola Tinubu and the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Heineken Lokpobiri, to investigate NNPCL’s fuel importation.
“NNPCL is owned by Nigerians, and the company must be accountable to them. What have they achieved with the billions spent on refinery rehabilitation?” he asked.
In December 2024, NNPCL announced the restart of the 125,000 barrels per day (bpd) Warri Refinery and the 60,000 bpd phase one of the Port Harcourt Refinery. These projects, approved for rehabilitation in 2021, were expected to boost local fuel production and reduce import dependency.
Nigeria operates four national refineries—two in Port Harcourt, one in Warri, and one in Kaduna—but they have struggled with inefficiencies and prolonged shutdowns.
With the addition of the Dangote Refinery, many expected a decline in fuel imports. However, the continued large-scale importation of petrol and diesel raises questions about the effectiveness of these projects and the transparency of NNPCL’s operations.