The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) has disclosed that Nigerians consumed an average of 46.3 million litres per day of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), commonly known as petrol, in May 2026. According to the regulator's May 2026 Facts Sheet, the majority of the petrol consumed was sourced from domestic refineries.
Domestic Refining and Supply Sources
Domestic refining and supply sources collectively supplied an average of 44.7 million litres of PMS on a daily basis. The refining industry produced an average of 44.7 million litres of petrol each day, while 41.5 million litres was sent to domestic distribution channels. Additionally, 9.4 million litres was available as closing stock for petrol, the NMDPRA fact sheet for May 2026 revealed.
When additional supply channels were accounted for, total petrol availability rose to an average of 47.4 million litres per day. This resulted in a marginal daily surplus of roughly 1.1 million litres as supply exceeded average consumption.
Refining Capacity and Utilization
The report also shows that the system utilization rate for the refining process in Nigeria in May was an average of 101.25%. This means that domestic refining capacity was exceeded on average for the month, as reported by Petroleumprice. While domestic refining improved, total supply of petrol still trailed regulatory demand estimates of 50 million litres a day, though it covered approximately 95 percent of anticipated demand.
Other Petroleum Products
The fact sheet also accounted for other products: 24.5 million litres of Automotive Gas Oil (AGO) were generated per day by domestic refineries. Data shows 18.2 million litres were sold within the country while 6.5 million litres were exported. Of the 21.9 million litres of aviation turbine kerosene generated, 17.5 million litres were exported while 2.8 million litres were sold within Nigeria.
Stock Sufficiency and Modular Refineries
The report also shows a remaining petrol stock sufficiency of 16 days by the end of May, indicating adequate fuel supplies in the country. Modular refineries supplied a combined average of roughly 648,000 litres of diesel daily. WalterSmith, Edo and Aradel Refineries, all modular operations, averaged from 62.9% up to 91.7% utilisation rates for the month.
Gas Production Update
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) announced that Nigeria’s natural gas production increased to 7.93 billion standard cubic feet per day (bcf/d) in May 2026, a 0.63% year-on-year increase from the 7.88 bcf/d recorded in the same period of 2025. The NUPRC noted that total gas production in May stood at 7.93 bcf/d, representing a marginal decline of 0.12% from the 7.94 bcf/d recorded in April 2026. However, year-to-date average production improved to 7.87 bcf/d, up from the 7.82 bcf/d recorded in the first quarter of the year.
