The Traffic

"123 Million Litres of Petrol Imported as Marketers Race to Meet Demand Amid Dangote Refinery Shortfall"

Nigeria's fuel supply is set for a significant boost as four vessels carrying 123.4 million litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) arrived at seaports between October 18 and 20. This massive import comes as petrol marketers continue negotiations with Dangote Refinery to address the shortfall in domestic supply.

Documents obtained from the Nigerian Ports Authority confirmed that the vessels docked at Apapa Port in Lagos and Calabar Port in Cross River State. The imports aim to supplement the 10 million litres per day currently produced by the $20 billion Dangote Refinery, which falls short of the promised 25 million litres needed to meet the country’s demand.

The first vessel, carrying 35,000 metric tonnes of fuel, arrived at the Apapa port on October 18, followed by two others carrying a combined 47,000 metric tonnes on the same day. A final vessel, with 10,000 metric tonnes of fuel, docked at the Calabar port on October 20. These imports follow earlier reports in September, when 141 million litres of PMS were brought in to stabilize rising petrol prices.

Petrol marketers have stressed that the move to import fuel is a necessary response to the full deregulation of the downstream oil sector, which allows for open-market pricing. Talks between the marketers and Dangote Refinery are ongoing, as both parties seek to scale up local production and reduce reliance on imports.

Officials from the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) have assured the public that all imported petrol will undergo rigorous testing to ensure it meets Nigeria’s quality standards. "The products must conform to stipulated standards before we authorise them to offload to their terminals," said George Ene-Ita, spokesperson for the agency.

As fuel imports continue to bolster the nation's reserves, consumers hope for stable prices and sufficient supply in the coming weeks.