The Nigerian Port Authority says between March 17 and 23, 2025, Nigerian petroleum product marketers and dealers imported 154.22 million litres of premium motor spirit.
This revealed that, outside of the Dangote Refinery, fuel marketers and merchants throughout the reviewed time turned elsewhere for petroleum products.
According to a document released by the NPA on Thursday, ships transporting 115,000 metric tonnes, representing 154.22 million litres of PMS, would import goods via the ports of Tincan in Lagos, Lekki Deep Seaport in Lagos, and Calabar in Cross River State.
In the same time frame, the Dangote Refinery imported 654,766 metric tonnes of crude oil, according to the document.
Consequently, on Monday, March 17, 2025, at 4:03 pm, the first cargo of 20,000 metric tonnes of PMS assigned to the West African Port Services berthed at the Dangote port.
On the same day, two vessels conveying 20,000 metric tonnes, respectively, berthed at the Tincan and Calabar seaports. This was followed by the arrival of a 20,000 metric-tonne Watson vessel on Thursday, March 20, at 3:18 pm. It berthed at the Ecomarine terminal and was handled by a Kach maritime agent.
Also, Binta Saleh’s ship was scheduled to berth at the Tincan port in Lagos carrying 5,000 metric tonnes of imported petrol on Friday, March 21, at midnight.
On Saturday, March 22, at 11:06 am, another vessel carrying 15,000 metric tonnes of fuel will berth at the Calabar port. It was assigned to Peak Shipping as its agent.
At the same port, a vessel carrying 15,000 metric tonnes of fuel will arrive at the Eco Marine terminal on Sunday at 5:10 pm. This means the seven vessels should bring in 115,000 metric tonnes.
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Summarily, going by the conversion rate of 1,341 litres to one metric tonne, it, therefore, means that the petrol retailers and marketers are bringing in about 154.22 million litres of petrol within the period under review.
The development comes amid the latest decision by Dangote Refinery to suspend its petroleum products sales in Naira.
The 650,000 barrels per day refinery’s decision to end sales in Naira is not unconnected to the stalemate in the Naira-for-crude sale deal with the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited.
Earlier, the Petroleum Retailers Outlets Owners Association of Nigeria had hinted to The Intercept that its members will not hesitate to seek alternatives at NNPCL and petrol imports.
As of March 12, 2025, the ex-depot price of Dangote Refinery was between N815 and N825 per litre, whilst the landing cost of imported PMS had decreased to between N774 and N797 per litre.
The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority has justified PMS imports by claiming that the country’s three functioning refineries account for less than half of daily petrol consumption, with imported goods making up the difference.
