Nigeria’s petrol import bill rose sharply to N952.15 billion in the second quarter (Q2) of 2026, representing a 989.4 percent increase from the N87.4 billion recorded in Q1, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).
Gatekeepers News reports that the figures were contained in the NBS’ latest foreign trade statistics for Q2 2026. Petrol, classified as “Motor Spirit Ordinary”, was the country’s largest imported commodity during the period, accounting for 6.6 percent of total imports valued at N14.42 trillion.
Other major imports included crude oil, durum wheat, used vehicles with diesel or semi-diesel engines, and motorcycles and cycles fitted with auxiliary motors.
Despite the quarterly surge, the petrol import bill was 66.4 percent lower year-on-year, falling from N2.83 trillion in Q2 2025. The increase also came amid growing domestic refining capacity, particularly from the Dangote refinery.
The development comes as Dangote Refinery has raised concerns over continued petrol imports, saying the inflow of imported products is affecting its ability to plan production and manage inventory. The refinery previously warned that rising imports were forcing it to export excess petrol despite having capacity to supply the domestic market.
The latest figures therefore highlight the continuing tension between Nigeria’s growing domestic refining capacity and its reliance on imported petrol to supplement local supply.
