Kehinde Fajobi
The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) has confirmed that the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) has not imported petrol this year.
Speaking in Abuja on Wednesday, February 19, NMDPRA’s Executive Director of Distribution System, Storage, and Retailing Infrastructure, Ogbugo Ukoha, clarified that the country’s fuel supply has come from local refineries and imports by independent Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs).
“For clarity, what I am saying is that the contribution of local refining towards sufficiency is less than 60 per cent currently. In January and February 2025, it is less than 50 per cent of what we require daily.
“And that shortfall is sourced by way of importation. Even though none of the OMCs that owned refineries have imported this year PMS,” Ukoha said.
This statement indirectly confirmed that NNPCL has not imported petrol in 2025, contrary to speculation that its fuel burns faster than that of Dangote Refinery.
Ukoha also assured that all imported petroleum products meet the required standards set by the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) and the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021.
“You must meet those specifications, otherwise we will not let those products be distributed,” he stated.
Addressing social media claims about fuel quality, he criticised those spreading misinformation.
READ ALSO: ‘We Haven’t Imported PMS in 2025’ — NNPCL
“It is disrespectful if you imagine that Nigerians are gullible. Innocent Nigerians are discerning enough to know that energies need to be directed positively.
“People who make unscientific claims with bogus data are really not helping the situation,” he said.
Ukoha also announced new regulations for petroleum truck loading. From 1st March 2025, trucks carrying over 60,000 litres of hydrocarbons will be banned from loading, and by the fourth quarter of 2025, the limit will be further reduced to 45,000 litres.