Despite the recent operation of two major refineries in Nigeria, oil marketers have continued to import and distribute petrol across the country.
Between September 11 and December 5, 2024, marketers imported 2.3 billion litres of petrol despite earlier announcements to focus on domestic supply.
The local refineries include the Dangote Petroleum Refinery in Lagos with a capacity of 650,000 barrels per day and the Port Harcourt Refining Company in Rivers State with a capacity of 210,000 barrels per day.
The Dangote refinery started selling petrol in September, while the Port Harcourt refinery’s Area 5 facility commenced operations recently.
Recent data indicates that 52,000 metric tonnes of petrol were imported within three days, equivalent to 68.74 million litres.
Despite the production by local refineries, petrol imports persisted due to pricing and output concerns, with the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited being the primary off-taker initially.
Following government directives, oil marketers can now negotiate petrol purchases directly from the Dangote refinery, leading to agreements with various associations for product offtake.
However, recent findings show that fuel imports by marketers continue, with shipments arriving at different ports in the country.
The ongoing importation of petrol suggests challenges in efforts to reduce reliance on imported fuel and promote local production.
Discussions and agreements between stakeholders aim to enhance the role of local refineries in meeting Nigeria’s fuel demands and reducing fuel imports.
Despite commitments to halt petrol imports and focus on local supply, recent data reveals ongoing imports by oil marketers into the country.
The situation highlights the complexities in transitioning from imported fuel to domestic production despite the operation of new refineries.