Nigeria has restarted the issuance of petrol import permits to fuel marketers, a move carried out by the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority as part of a fresh policy direction. Under the latest round of licensing, six petroleum marketers have been approved to bring in roughly 720,000 metric tons of Premium Motor Spirit, commonly referred to as petrol.
The decision marks a notable shift away from an earlier emphasis on domestic refining capacity, in particular the output of Dangote Refinery. The approved beneficiaries include NIPCO, AA Rano, Matrix, Shafa, Pinnacle, and Bono. NIPCO is expected to import 120,000 metric tons, AA Rano 150,000 metric tons, Matrix 150,000 metric tons, Shafa 120,000 metric tons, Pinnacle 120,000 metric tons, and Bono 60,000 metric tons, which together add up to the planned 720,000 metric tons.
While the regulator has not publicly spelled out the rationale for the new licenses, Dangote Refinery has again pointed to its ability to supply Nigeria’s local fuel demand. In its latest remarks, it cited NMDPRA’s industrial figures indicating that the refinery’s 650,000-barrel-per-day capacity accounts for about 90% of the country’s daily petrol consumption.
Even so, the renewed turn toward imports has raised questions among stakeholders, who are watching for signals about how Nigeria is balancing domestic production against external supply. The licensing comes shortly after a leadership change at NMDPRA: President Bola Ahmed Tinubu appointed Rabiu Abdullahi Umar as the authority’s chief executive officer about a week earlier, following the removal of Saidu Mohammed from the role while he was reportedly in Germany on official assignment.
