Nigeria recorded a sharp decline in domestic petrol supply and consumption in July 2026, even as stock levels improved across major petroleum products, according to data from the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA).
The regulator’s July 2026 Factsheet showed that daily domestic Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) supply fell by 21 per cent month-on-month to 25.8 million litres per day (lpd), from 32.5 million lpd in June.
Petrol consumption declined even more sharply, falling by 25 per cent to 35.7 million lpd from 47.4 million lpd in the previous month.
Despite the weaker supply and demand, petrol stock sufficiency improved from 19.7 days in June to 22.4 days in July, providing a stronger buffer against potential disruptions in the market.
The NMDPRA said total daily PMS receipts declined by 10 per cent from 50.6 million lpd in June to 45.5 million lpd in July. The decline was largely driven by a 6.7 million lpd reduction in domestic supply.
However, imported petrol increased by 9 per cent during the period, rising from 18.1 million lpd to 19.7 million lpd.
Diesel receipts recorded a significant increase, with Automotive Gas Oil (AGO) receipts rising by 46 per cent from 16.2 million lpd in June to 23.6 million lpd in July.
Domestic AGO supply fell marginally by 3 per cent to 15.7 million lpd, while imports rose from zero in June to 7.9 million lpd in July. Diesel consumption, however, declined by 8 per cent from 16 million lpd to 14.7 million lpd.
Aviation Turbine Kerosene (ATK) recorded an even steeper decline in demand, with consumption falling by 41 per cent from 2.9 million lpd to 1.7 million lpd.
Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) was the exception among the major products tracked, with consumption increasing by 7 per cent from 4.1 million litres per day to 4.4 million lpd.
The decline in demand was accompanied by improved inventory cover for petrol and diesel. PMS stock sufficiency rose by 14 per cent from 19.7 days to 22.4 days, while AGO stock cover increased by 25 per cent from 37.1 days to 46.5 days.
The NMDPRA data also showed that LPG receipts increased by 4 per cent from 5.1 kilotonnes per day to 5.3 kilotonnes per day.
Domestic LPG supply rose by 22 per cent from 3.6 kilotonnes per day to 4.4 kilotonnes per day, while imports declined by 40 per cent from 1.5 kilotonnes to 0.9 kilotonnes per day.
Supply conditions were weaker for some other products. ATK receipts fell by 24 per cent from 2.5 million lpd to 1.9 million lpd, while domestic gas supply declined by 8 per cent from 5.116 billion cubic feet per day to 4.723 billion cubic feet per day.
The regulator also provided details of production and distribution from the Dangote Refinery during July.
The refinery produced 25.9 million lpd of petrol, while domestic receipts stood at 25.8 million lpd. It exported 3.4 million lpd and ended the month with PMS stock of 446.1 million litres.
For AGO, the refinery’s production averaged 19.1 million lpd, compared with domestic receipts of 15.7 million lpd and exports of 11 million lpd. Its closing diesel stock stood at 162.3 million litres.
The refinery also produced 15.6 million lpd of ATK. Domestic receipts stood at 1.9 million lpd, while exports reached 11.6 million lpd, leaving a closing stock of 217.4 million litres.
Meanwhile, Nigeria’s crude oil production remained above 1.5 million barrels per day for the third consecutive month in July 2026, although output declined from the previous month, according to the latest Monthly Oil Market Report by the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).
Nigeria’s average daily crude oil production had risen to 1.530 million barrels per day in May 2026, marking the first time in 2026 that the country returned above its OPEC production quota since mid-2025.
The increase in crude production has coincided with higher domestic crude supplies to local refineries as Nigeria continues efforts to strengthen its refining and energy supply chain.
The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) said 53.7 million barrels of crude were supplied to local refiners between April and June 2026, representing 97.4 per cent of domestic crude and condensate supply during the second quarter.
Earlier in the year, the NUPRC declared Nigeria’s total petroleum reserves at 37.01 billion barrels of crude oil and condensate, alongside 215.19 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, as of January 1, 2026.
The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited has also said it plans to increase Nigeria’s gas reserves from about 210 trillion cubic feet to approximately 600 trillion cubic feet.
The NUPRC recently stated that Nigeria remains on course to achieve its target of producing 3 million barrels of crude oil per day by 2030.
