Between September 11 and December 5, 2024, Nigeria imported 2.3 billion liters of Premium Motor Spirit (petrol), even though Dangote and Port Harcourt refineries were just starting up.
This is in accordance with a document that the Nigerian Ports Authority has made available.
Despite the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited and oil marketers’ pledge to stop imports, fuel imports are still occurring.
Production and truckout of PMS began on September 15, 2024, at the Dangote Refinery, which can produce 650,000 barrels per day, and on November 26, 2024, at the Port Harcourt refinery.
NPA statistics, however, indicated that even though Dangote and Port Harcourt refineries increased their domestic PMS production, petroleum imports continued.
In just the last three days, 52,000 metric tons of gasoline were imported.
One metric ton of gasoline weighs around 1322.76 liters. This suggests that in just three days, dealers imported 68.74 million liters of petroleum.
Three ships were used to transport the goods, and they docked at the Calabar Port in Cross Rivers, the Apapa Port in Lagos State, and the Tin Can Port in Lagos State.
A closer look at the import record revealed that around 8:12 a.m. on Tuesday, December 3, 2024, a ship named Binta Saleh docked at the Apapa port with 12,000 MT (15.864 million liters) of gasoline.
The Bulk Oil Plant terminal handled the ship, which was represented by Blue Seas Maritime.
Likewise, another ship, Watson, is scheduled to arrive in the Calabar port this Thursday at 4:52 p.m. with 20,000 MT (26.44 million) of refined fuel. The ship will be handled at the Ecomarine Terminal by the agent, Kach Maritime.
This is true even though an agreement on the direct sale of gasoline was announced between Dangote Refinery, IPMAN, and the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria.
Recall that the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited was no longer the only off-taker of the refinery’s gasoline after the Federal Government declared on October 11, 2024, that marketers could now take gasoline straight from the Dangote refinery.