NMDPRA Report: Dangote Refinery, Imports Overshadow Nigeria’s Modular Refineries in Fuel Supply
- Modular refineries supplied an average of 2.37% of diesel demand from November 2025 to January 2026
- Diesel consumption across Nigeria averaged about 17 million litres per day, far exceeding modular output
- CORAN has called for improved crude access and funding support to help modular refineries scale operations
Oluwatobi Odeyinka is a business editor at Legit.ng, covering energy, the money market, technology and macroeconomic trends in Nigeria.
Nigeria’s modular refineries supplied an average of 2.37% of the country’s diesel demand between November 2025 and January 2026, according to data from the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), PUNCH reported.
The figures contained in the regulator’s monthly fact sheets show that only three of the five listed modular refineries, namely: Waltersmith Refinery, Edo Refinery, and Aradel Refinery, were operational during the period. OPAC Refinery and Duport Refinery remained shut.
Source: UGC
Output trails national demand
Combined average daily automotive gas oil (AGO), also known as diesel, supply from the three active plants stood at about 393,000 litres per day over the three months.
Monthly data show that modular refineries supplied 489,000 litres per day in November 2025, 392,000 litres per day in December 2025, and 297,000 litres per day in January 2026.
In contrast, national diesel consumption, measured by truck-out volumes into the domestic market, averaged about 17 million litres per day across the same period.
Consumption stood at 15.4 million litres per day in November, 16.4 million in December, and rose to 19.2 million litres per day in January.
Based on these figures, modular refineries accounted for 3.18% of diesel demand in November, 2.39% in December, and 1.55% in January, resulting in a three-month average of 2.37%.
Capacity utilisation remains uneven
Capacity utilisation across the operational plants varied. Waltersmith averaged about 61.66% utilisation, supplying 124,000 litres of diesel daily. Edo Refinery recorded the highest utilisation rate among the active plants at 63.23%, with an output of roughly 55,000 litres per day.
Aradel posted the lowest utilisation at 29.09% in January but still delivered about 118,000 litres per day. In earlier months, Aradel’s utilisation exceeded 62%, and it led in output volumes in November and December.
Overall, average capacity utilisation across the three functioning modular refineries was about 51.33%, indicating room for increased output if operational challenges are resolved.
Dangote refinery, imports dominate
Despite efforts to boost domestic refining, larger facilities such as the Dangote Petroleum Refinery continue to dominate diesel supply.
The Dangote refinery supplied 5.6 million litres per day in November, 5.8 million litres per day in December, and 10.9 million litres per day in January 2026, significantly higher than the combined output of modular refineries.
Nigeria also relied heavily on diesel imports during the period. Average daily imports stood at 14.1 million litres in November, 10.8 million in December, and 8.1 million in January.
The data highlight continued dependence on imports, even though diesel is the primary product of modular refineries. None of the modular plants currently produces petrol.
Consumption exceeds benchmarks
The NMDPRA fact sheet also set 2026 daily consumption benchmarks for major petroleum products: 50 million litres for petrol, 14 million litres for diesel, 3 million litres for aviation fuel, and 3.9 million tonnes for cooking gas.
However, actual consumption in January 2026 exceeded these benchmarks across all categories.
Petrol truck-out averaged 60.2 million litres per day, while diesel consumption reached 19.2 million litres per day — 37.1% above the benchmark. Aviation fuel averaged 3.5 million litres per day, and cooking gas consumption rose to 4.86 million metric tonnes per day.
The regulator noted that the figures reflect volumes distributed into the domestic market
Source: UGC
CORAN calls for support
The Crude Oil Refiners Association of Nigeria (CORAN) has repeatedly urged the federal government to improve access to crude supplies and funding for modular refiners.
CORAN’s publicity secretary, Eche Idoko, said Nigeria has multiple operational and developing refineries, including Aradel in Rivers, Waltersmith in Imo, OPAC in Delta, Clairgold in Delta, and Azikel in Bayelsa.
He argued that while large players can secure crude through private arrangements, smaller refiners struggle with feedstock access. Idoko called for the enforcement of the Domestic Crude Supply Obligation to ensure fair allocation.
He also advocated the creation of a Midstream Refinery Development Fund to finance critical equipment such as catalytic reformers and desulphurisation units needed for petrol production and cleaner fuels.
According to him, broader policy support, including pro-competition laws and infrastructure sharing, would help strengthen the sector and reduce concerns about monopolies.
Nigeria cuts fuel imports
Legit.ng earlier reported that Nigeria recorded a significant drop in fuel imports as domestic refining output rose sharply in recent months, signalling progress in the country’s drive toward energy self-sufficiency.
Data released by the NMDPRA in its January fact sheet showed that the total daily supply of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), also known as petrol, declined to 64.9 million litres in January.
This represents a drop from the 74.2 million litres recorded in December 2025. Despite the overall decline in supply, local refining accounted for the larger portion of the volume.
Source: Legit.ng
