Abuja: The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) has announced a significant decrease in Nigeria’s importation of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS). The Chief Executive Officer of NMDPRA, Farouk Ahmed, revealed this information during the Meet-the-Press briefing series organized by the Presidential Communications Team at the State House in Abuja.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, Ahmed reported that the country’s daily PMS importation had dropped from 44.6 million litres in August 2024 to 14.7 million litres as of April 13. He attributed this 30-million-litre reduction to increased contributions from local refineries, noting that local production of petrol surged by 670 percent during the same period.
The rise in local production is credited to the gradual restart of the Port Harcourt Refining Company in November 2024, along with additional output from modular refineries across the country. “After contributing virtually nothing in August 2024, local plants delivered 26.2 million litres per day in early April, a jump from the 3.4 million litres recorded in September 2024, which was the first month with measurable output,” Ahmed stated.
Despite the growth in domestic supply, Ahmed noted that the total national supply exceeded the government’s 50 million litres per day consumption benchmark only twice within the eight-month period: 56 million litres in November 2024 and 52.3 million litres in February 2025. He added that March 2025 saw a slight dip to 51.5 million litres per day, while the first half of April recorded an even lower average of 40.9 million litres per day.
Ahmed emphasized that the NMDPRA issues import licenses strictly in line with national supply requirements, highlighting the authority’s commitment to balancing imports with growing local production capacity. He called for a collective national effort to protect and maintain Nigeria’s oil and gas infrastructure, urging all stakeholders, including security agencies, political leaders, traditional rulers, youths, and oil companies, to work together to secure national energy assets.
The CEO also stressed the importance of local government authorities and international oil companies, such as NNPCL, as well as indigenous companies, in ensuring the protection and maintenance of oil assets. He added, “Until we all commit to safeguarding these national assets, we should stop pointing fingers.”
Ahmed reaffirmed NMDPRA’s commitment to transparency and accountability in the midstream and downstream sectors.