Imports of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), popularly known as petrol, fell by 30 million litres between January and August 2024.
This is according to the latest Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) supply tracker.
Briefing State House correspondents on Tuesday during the sixth edition of the Meet-the-Press briefing series organised by the Presidential Communications Team at the Aso Rock Villa, Abuja, Farouk Ahmed, NMDPRA’s Chief executive officer, said local supply rose 670 per cent within that period.
After contributing virtually nothing in August, local plants delivered 26.2 ML/day in early April, a jump from the 3.4 ML recorded in September, the first month with measurable output.
Ahmed credited the surge to the phased restart of the Port Harcourt Refining Company in late November and incremental volumes from modular refineries.
Despite the progress, combined supply crossed the government’s 50 ML/day consumption benchmark only twice in the eight-month window—November (56 ML) and February (52.3 ML).
He added that March 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.
