The Federal Government has approved the importation of 830,000 metric tonnes of petrol for the final quarter of 2026.
The move is aimed at preventing fuel shortages during the Christmas and New Year period, when demand for petrol is expected to rise.
The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority issued the import permits in September. Six major petroleum marketers will handle the imports.
They are Matrix Energy, AA Rano, AYM Shafa, NIPCO, Pinnacle Oil and Bono Energy.
The latest approval is higher than some of the allocations made earlier this year. The six companies received 180,000 metric tonnes in the first quarter and 720,000 metric tonnes in the second quarter.
The third-quarter allocation was later increased to more than 800,000 metric tonnes.
The new petrol imports come despite rising local refining capacity. The Dangote Petroleum Refinery has increased its supply of petrol to the Nigerian market.
Reports indicate that domestic refineries supplied 76.7 per cent of Nigeria’s petrol in the first quarter of 2026. At the same time, petrol imports fell by about 60 per cent from the previous year to 965.5 million litres.
The latest approval has also renewed the debate over petrol import licences.
Dangote Refinery is challenging the continued issuance and renewal of some import licences by the NMDPRA. The company wants the Federal High Court to cancel licences where it believes local supply is enough to meet demand.
The case is expected to return to court on October 7, 2026.
For consumers, the government says the fresh imports will help keep petrol available during the busy Yuletide season.
Imported petrol will therefore continue to form part of Nigeria’s fuel supply, alongside petrol produced by local refineries.
