Nigerians spend N5.43tr on petrol in Q1 amid Dangote’s suit over import

As Nigerians continue to grapple with high cost of Petroleum products due to removal fuel subsidy and the US-Iran war, Nigerians spent at least N5.43tr on Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), also known as fuel, in the first three months of 2026. This is coming amidst fresh crisis in the downstream petroleum sector following a suit […]

As Nigerians continue to grapple with high cost of Petroleum products due to removal fuel subsidy and the US-Iran war, Nigerians spent at least N5.43tr on Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), also known as fuel, in the first three months of 2026.
This is coming amidst fresh crisis in the downstream petroleum sector following a suit instituted by the Dangote Petroleum Refinery asking the court to nullify import permits issued or renewed by the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) to the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) and marketers.
Yesterday, the Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers Association of Nigeria (DAPPMAN) in reaction to the fresh suit defended the continued issuance of fuel import licences by the NMDPRA, saying the move remains critical to the country’s energy security.
Amidst the festering crisis, Daily Trust’s analysis of the monthly factsheet produced by the NMDPRA and monthly petrol price produced by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) indicated the staggering sum of money Nigerians spent on PMS in the first three months of 2026 alone.
Both reports used average pricing in their analysis, thus the price and PMS consumption may be higher.
The N5.43tr spent on fuel is from the total 4,878,400,000 (billion) litres of PMS that was consumed in the quarter. This comprised the fuel sold locally by the Dangote Refinery and the imported product.
A breakdown showed that 1,866,200,000 (billion) litres of PMS was consumed in January translating into N1.93trn and based on the average price of N1,034.76 that the NBS said the commodity cost during the month.
In February, consumption dropped to 1,593,200,000 (billion) litres amounting to N1.67trn at the rate of N1,051.47 per litre.
The figure also declined in March to 1,419,000,000 (billion) litres but the money spent on the product increased to N1.82tr. This reflects the high price of the product in the month owing to the increase in price of crude oil as the US war on Iran was in its full swing.
Also, the NBS noted that the average price of PMS during the month increased to N1,288.54.
When compared to the previous quarter of Q4 2025, the N5.43tr spent was a decrease of 3.04 percent when compared with the N5.60trn spent on the commodity.
Analysis of Q4 2025 showed that 5,319,400,000 (billion) litres of PMS was consumed and a breakdown showed 1,757,700,000 (billion) litres were consumed in October, amounting to N1.84tr at N1,052.31 per litre.
In November, 1,587,000,000 (billion) of the product was consumed which Nigerians paid N1.68tr at1N1,061.35 per litre
In December, 1,974,700,000 (billion ) litres were consumed due to the festive period and N2.07tr was spent on the product at the rate of N1,048.63 per litre.
Fresh Dangote/Marketers’ row
Over time the Dangote refinery has frowned at the continued importation of petroleum products by major marketers despite the existence of the 650,000 barrel-per-day refinery, insisting it has the capacity to meet national demand.
However, marketers insist the refinery has not yet attained the capacity to meet national demand.
On Friday, the Refinery filed a fresh lawsuit against the Attorney-General of the Federation, seeking to nullify fuel import licences granted to oil marketers and the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited.
The new legal action came about a year after the refinery withdrew an earlier suit challenging similar import permits issued to the state oil company and several fuel traders.
The new suit was filed before the Federal High Court in Lagos with Dangote arguing that the approvals violate an earlier court order directing all parties to maintain the status quo.
In the suit, the refinery contended that licences granted to some marketers this month threaten its operations and run contrary to provisions of the law, which it said only permit fuel imports when domestic supply is insufficient to meet national demand.

 

But DAPPMAN fired back yesterday, explaining that the import licences at the centre of the lawsuit are not administrative courtesies.

 

“They are the legal instruments through which Nigeria’s fuel supply chain functions. They were issued under a regulatory framework established by the Petroleum Industry Act, by an authority empowered to make exactly this kind of determination.

 

“The NMDPRA has consistently maintained, correctly, that these licences exist to protect supply security, not to disadvantage any single producer, however large,” DAPPMAN said.

 

The association stated that its member-companies had invested billions of naira in depot infrastructure, logistics networks, and compliance systems on the basis that their operating licences are valid, lawful, and durable.

 

“A legal action designed to retroactively void those licences does not just affect individual businesses, it introduces uncertainty into the entire downstream supply chain at a moment when Nigeria can least afford it,” the association said.

 

DAPPMAN said while it respects Dangote Petroleum Refinery’s right to pursue legal remedies, its “premise that a private refinery’s commercial interests should override a regulatory authority’s mandate to ensure adequate supply to Nigerian consumers” is not acceptable.

 

“The PIA is clear: import licences may be issued where the regulator determines it necessary. That determination has been made. It has been defended in court before. It should be defended again,” it added.

 

A source in Dangote who spoke with our correspondent last night said the suit was directed to the AGF and not the marketers. He declined further comment on the position of the marketers.