According to reports, no fewer than four vessels carrying Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), commonly referred to as petrol, docked at various seaports in the country between Friday, October 18, and Sunday, October 20, 2024.
According to official records from the Nigerian Port Authority (NPA) obtained on Sunday, these vessels brought in approximately 123.4 million litres of petrol, adding to the current national supply.
The delivery confirms earlier reports that oil marketers would import PMS to supplement the output from the Dangote Petroleum Refinery, Nigeria’s largest oil processing facility. Despite the refinery’s significant production capacity, it has struggled to meet the country’s fuel demands, prompting marketers to seek alternative solutions.
As reported earlier, the Dangote Petroleum Refinery, located in Lekki, Lagos, had initially pledged to produce around 25 million litres of petrol per day. However, industry sources claim that the refinery is only producing 10 million litres daily. This shortfall has put pressure on the domestic market, leading to higher petrol prices and increased importation to fill the gap.
In September 2024, oil dealers imported around 141 million litres of petrol, following a rise in pump prices for Dangote-produced petrol. This surge in imports was enabled by the Nigerian government’s decision to fully deregulate the downstream oil sector. Deregulation has allowed private oil marketers to import PMS freely, subject to meeting regulatory requirements.
The most recent imports landed at two major seaports: Apapa port in Lagos and Calabar port in Cross River State. An analysis of the NPA document reveals that at least four vessels carrying PMS berthed at these ports over the weekend.
The first vessel, carrying 35,000 metric tonnes of petrol, arrived at the Apapa port on Friday, October 18, at 10:13 am. Another vessel followed later that day, docking at the same port at 3:37 pm with 37,000 metric tonnes of fuel.
On the same day, a third vessel, carrying 10,000 metric tonnes, berthed at Apapa port at 3:59 pm. Meanwhile, at Calabar port, a fourth vessel arrived on Sunday, October 20, at 8:02 am, carrying 10,000 metric tonnes of fuel.
Altogether, the four vessels delivered a total of 92,000 metric tonnes of petrol. By converting this volume using a rate of 1,341 litres per metric tonne, the total imported fuel translates to about 123.4 million litres of petrol.
Despite these substantial imports, it remains unclear whether the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) was involved in the importation process, or if the imports were solely conducted by private oil marketers.
Speaking earlier on the issue, George Ene-Ita, spokesperson for the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), stated that oil marketers with approved licenses are free to import PMS. However, he emphasized that strict testing protocols must be followed to ensure the fuel meets regulatory standards.
“The products must be subjected to our testing protocols at the ports. The products must conform to stipulated standards before we authorise them to offload to their terminals,” he said. He also explained that additional tests are conducted both at the point of origin and when the fuel arrives in Nigeria to guarantee quality.
