A report by the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) has revealed that Nigerians spent an estimated N1.58 trillion on petrol in December 2025.
According to official fuel consumption data released by the NMDPRA, average daily petrol consumption was 63.7 million litres per day throughout the month, totalling 1.97 billion litres for the month.
The December fact sheet further showed that petrol consumption in the month remained consistently high, perhaps driven largely by increased travel, festive movements and higher commercial activities associated with the Yuletide.
Based on the average pump price of about N800 per litre across the country in the review period, total consumer spending on petrol for December is estimated at about N1.58 trillion, which is 1.97 billion multiplied by N800.
In December 2025, Dangote refinery enforced a price reduction crashing petrol prices from around N900 to N739 per litre. However, it was observed that, unlike MRS in Lagos and some parts of Ogun, many filling stations sold petrol above N800 during the Yuletide, especially in the north.
December typically records higher fuel usage compared to other months due to holiday travel, end-of-year logistics, and increased need for electricity by businesses relying on petrol-powered generators. These seasonal factors explain the elevated spending level recorded during the month.
It was observed that the December 2025 figure of 63.7 million litres per day was the highest since October 2024.
Year-on-year, daily petrol consumption stood at 52.3 million litres per day in December 2024.
The NMDPRA data showed that daily petrol consumption surged in October 2025, hitting 56.9 million litres, but dropped in November to 52.9 million and increased again to its highest in December 2025.
According to the regulator, the consumption data as reported is based on volumes trucked into the domestic market by the Dangote refinery and importers.
Nigeria imported approximately 1.31 billion litres of petrol in December 2025, according to NMDPRA. During the same period, the Dangote refinery supplied 992 million litres, showing a notable contribution from domestic refining compared to November.
In the month under review, total petrol supply was 74.2 million litres per day: imports accounted for 42.2 million litres per day, while Dangote supplied 32 million litres per day. This indicated that about 10 million litres per day were not trucked out during the month.
“Domestic supply is volumes received into coastal depots plus volumes trucked out from domestic refineries. PMS supply in December 2025 increased due to significant improvement in supply from DPRP (19.5 ML/day to 32 ML/day).”
