Nigerian fuel traders say they are having trouble getting petrol from the state-owned Port Harcourt and Warri refineries, although these plants were declared ready six months ago.

As a result, they remain dependent on imports and the privately owned $20 billion Dangote Refinery to meet supply needs, according to a report from Reuters.

While fuel shortages have long been a problem in Nigeria, the nation has spent more than N11.35 trillion ($25 billion) over the last ten years in an attempt to repair its three outdated, non-operational refineries.

To lessen its reliance on imported petroleum, Nigeria has invested over $2.4 billion since 2021 to upgrade two refineries in the Niger Delta. However, the local fuel supply is still facing issues due to delays in getting these refineries fully operational.

Fuel dealers claim they are still unable to obtain fuel from the state-owned, NNPC-operated Port Harcourt refinery and the Warri refinery, despite Nigeria declaring the first phase of renovations at these refineries finished in December 2024.

More imports

Over 6,700 fuel stations are represented by the Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Owners Association of Nigeria (PETROAN), which claims that its members remain dependent on fuel imports and supplies from the largest refinery in Africa, the Dangote Refinery.

The Dangote Refinery produces 650,000 barrels per day but has not yet reached its full production capacity.

According to official records, the Port Harcourt refinery, once the biggest in Nigeria, stopped producing gasoline by March 2025.

Nigeria's excessive reliance on imports remains a major concern. According to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), the country spent N15.4 trillion ($9.63 billion) on petrol imports in 2024, more than double the N7.51 trillion spent in 2023.

In contrast, the Dangote Refinery produced 20.6 million litres of petrol that month, while imports contributed 25.19 million litres, together meeting 92% of Nigeria's daily gasoline demand of 50 million litres. Authorities hope that establishing local refineries will drastically cut this expense.