Nigeria may resume the issuance of petrol and diesel import permits later this February, the first batch in 2026, to ward off a possible tightening of supply in the country, after a temporary halt by the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA).
According to industry sources quoted by Argus, the NMDPRA is expected to begin approving new import licences later this month or by early March latest. The move would mark the first approvals for 2026, following a regulatory pause aimed at limiting imports strictly to volumes required to cover shortfalls in domestic refinery output.
The sources told Argus that the delay in issuing permits was partly linked to leadership changes at the authority, following the exit of its former chief executive, Farouk Ahmed, on December 17. The transition, they said, had a knock-on effect on internal decision-making, slowing approvals during the early part of the year.
Under established practice, the NMDPRA issues refined product import permits on a quarterly basis, with each approval typically valid for three months, raising questions about how the framework would be applied if permits are issued almost halfway into the first quarter.
