Nigeria's PMS imports increased by 55% from 2010 to 2022, with 245 billion litres imported in that period

Between 2010 and 2022, Nigeria imported 245 billion litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), popularly called petrol, with the highest imports recorded in 2022. Here is the volume of PMS imported into the country in 13 years from 2010.

Source:

National Bureau of Statistics

Period:

2010-2022
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Nigeria's petrol prices have surged 40% since the US/Israel-Iran War
  • Nigeria recorded the largest petrol price increase in Africa, rising 39.5% between February 23 and March 16, 2026.
  • Egypt experienced a 14.3% increase, making it one of the largest price jumps in Africa.
  • Nigeria’s increase is more than double that of Egypt.
  • A number of African countries recorded very small price changes, including Tanzania (2.7%), Morocco (2.1%), and South Africa (1%).
  • A few countries actually saw declines in fuel prices, including Madagascar (-3.9%) and Zambia (-4.6%).
  • During the period, petrol prices remained unchanged in 28 African countries.

Dangote Refinery’s fuel price hits an all-time-high, rising from ₦699 to ₦1,175 in four months
Fuel prices from Dangote Refinery reached an all-time high of ₦1,175 per litre in March 2026. The lowest recorded price in the period was ₦699 per litre in December 2025, showing a wide price swing. The jump from ₦699 to ₦1,175 happened in roughly four months.
  • Prices earlier in the timeline hovered mostly between ₦820 and ₦987 during late 2024 and much of 2025.
  • The December 2025 price cut was aimed at making locally refined fuel more competitive against imports.
  • After the price drop, fuel costs began rising again in early 2026, reaching ₦995 by early March before climbing further.
  • Global geopolitical tensions affecting oil markets contributed to the upward pressure on prices.

Nigeria’s crude oil export value surges over 400% from 2020 to a record ₦55.3tn in 2024
  • Export values have grown over 400%, rising from ₦11.8 trillion in 2013 to a peak of ₦55.3 trillion in 2024, a fivefold increase driven by rising oil prices and a weaker naira.
  • 2015 and 2016 were the hardest years, with export values crashing as low as ₦6.8 trillion in 2015, reflecting the brutal impact of the global oil price collapse on Nigeria's most critical export.
  • The most explosive growth came from 2023 onwards, with values surging past ₦29 trillion in 2023 and peaking at ₦55.3 trillion in 2024, largely driven by the naira depreciation following Nigeria's 2023 foreign exchange reforms.
  • The first nine months of 2025 saw a slower pace than the previous year, with ₦37.7 trillion recorded between Q1 and Q3, lower than the ₦41.5 trillion recorded during the same period in 2024.

For most of the period (2013-H1 2025), China's share of Nigeria's imports from Asia hovers around 50%-55%, showing dominance
  • China has dominated Nigeria’s imports from Asia, maintaining a 50–55% share for most of the period.
  • China’s share reached its highest level at 58.6% in H1 2025.
  • India's import share remained volatile, ranging between 11% and 25%.
  • Total imports from Asia surged from ₦2.6 trillion in 2013 to ₦16.4 trillion in H1 2025.

Nigeria's agricultural imports' share has been dropping, from 83.9% (2017) to a low of 42.9% (H1 2025)
  • Agricultural imports fell from 83.9% in 2017 to 42.9% in H1 2025, indicating a significant decline in import dependency.
  • Agricultural exports grew from 16.1% in 2017 to 54.0% in 2024, surpassing imports for the first time since 2017.
  • Total agricultural trade increased from ₦1.1 trillion in 2017 to ₦8.2 trillion in 2024.
  • Between 2022 and 2024, the import share dropped significantly from 75.7% to 46.0%.

Crude oil imports in Nigeria emerged in H1 2025 (the first since 2017), capturing a 10.2% share of the total crude oil trade
  • Crude oil imports into Nigeria in H1 2025 marked the first occurrence since 2017.
  • Crude oil imports accounted for 10.2% of total crude oil trade.
  • From 2017 to 2024, exports made up 100% of crude oil trade annually.
  • Total crude oil trade peaked at ₦55.3 trillion in 2024.
  • The emergence of crude oil imports can be linked to domestic refinery operations, especially the Dangote Refinery.

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