Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) has suspended the issuance of new licences for the importation of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), popularly known as petrol, saying domestic production is currently sufficient to meet Nigeria’s fuel needs.
Gatekeepers News reports that the regulator disclosed the development in its February 2026 “State of the Midstream and Downstream Fact Sheet,” which showed that no petrol import licences were issued during the month.
According to the report, the Dangote refinery supplied an average of 36.5 million litres of petrol per day to the local market, while imports dropped significantly to about 3 million litres daily, the lowest level recorded in a year.
Overall petrol supply in February stood at 39.6 million litres per day, a figure lower than the 64.9 million litres supplied daily in January, reflecting the sharp reduction in imports.
Speaking on the development, George Ene-Ita, spokesperson of the NMDPRA, said the authority did not issue new licences because domestic production currently meets national demand.
He said, “At this moment, there is no need to import because local production is meeting supply. When there is a shortfall, we will issue licensing to buffer local production.”
The move aligns with provisions of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA), which allows petrol imports only when local refining capacity cannot meet domestic consumption.
The decision is a major boost for local refiners, particularly Dangote refinery, as Nigeria gradually shifts toward relying more on domestic fuel production instead of imports.
