Marketers Shun Dangote, Import 154m Litres of Petrol in One Week

Nigeria’s petroleum marketers imported 154.22 million litres of premium motor spirit (PMS) between March 17 and 23, 2025, according to figures released by the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), highlighting a growing shift away from reliance on the Dangote Refinery.

NPA documents released Thursday revealed that seven vessels carrying a total of 115,000 metric tonnes of PMS were scheduled to dock at Tincan Port and Lekki Deep Seaport in Lagos, as well as Calabar Port in Cross River State. Using the standard conversion rate of 1,341 litres per metric tonne, the imported volume equates to roughly 154.22 million litres of petrol.

Among the arrivals was a 20,000 metric tonne shipment allocated to West African Port Services, which berthed at the Dangote terminal on Monday, March 17. On the same day, two additional vessels with the same capacity docked at Tincan and Calabar ports. A fourth vessel, the Watson, carrying 20,000 metric tonnes, berthed at the Ecomarine terminal on March 20, handled by Kach Maritime. Binta Saleh’s ship, transporting 5,000 metric tonnes, was expected to berth at Tincan port at midnight on March 21. The Calabar port was set to receive two further vessels carrying 15,000 metric tonnes each on March 22 and 23, managed by Peak Shipping and Eco Marine respectively.

While marketers increased their petrol imports, the Dangote Refinery itself was focused on crude intake, importing 654,766 metric tonnes of crude oil during the same period. However, the refinery’s recent decision to halt the sale of refined products in Naira appears to have influenced marketers’ growing preference for imported fuel. The decision follows unresolved issues between Dangote Refinery and the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) over a proposed Naira-for-crude supply arrangement.

This pivot comes amid price pressures as well. As of March 12, 2025, the landing cost of imported PMS dropped to between N774 and N797 per litre, while Dangote’s ex-depot price remained higher at N815 to N825 per litre. The Petroleum Retailers Outlets Owners Association of Nigeria had earlier warned of a potential shift to imports, citing high domestic prices.

The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority has also acknowledged that the country’s three operational refineries currently supply less than 50 percent of national petrol demand, with the balance being met through imports.