The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) on Wednesday, September 23, issued fresh licences, for the importation of 830,000 metric tonnes of petrol into Nigeria in the fourth quarter of 2026.
The approval covers Matrix Energy, AA Rano, AYM Shafa, NIPCO, Pinnacle Oil and Bono Energy, which received licences to import the combined volume of petrol during the quarter.
The latest allocation comes as the international fuel market faces tighter supply conditions and Nigeria seeks to maintain adequate petrol availability ahead of the final quarter of the year.
The approved volume is similar to the allocation granted to the same six companies for the third quarter, indicating that the regulator is maintaining imported petrol as part of the country’s supply mix.
The development also comes amid an ongoing dispute between Dangote Petroleum Refinery and the NMDPRA over the continued issuance of petrol import licences.
Dangote Refinery has challenged the issuance and renewal of import licences to fuel marketers, arguing that such approvals should be limited where domestic supply is sufficient to meet national demand.
The refinery had previously filed a suit at the Federal High Court in Lagos over the matter.
The fresh licences were issued as Nigeria’s domestic refining capacity continues to expand, with locally refined petrol accounting for a significant share of the country’s supply.
However, petrol imports remain part of the supply chain as regulators seek to prevent shortages and maintain market stability.
The NMDPRA had also previously issued petrol import licences to local marketers as part of efforts to bridge supply gaps.
The latest approval means the six marketers will be able to import a combined 830,000 metric tonnes of petrol during the fourth quarter of 2026.
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