The Centre for the Promotion of Private Enterprise (CPPE) has urged the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) to restrict petroleum-product import approvals to verified domestic supply shortfalls, warning that indiscriminate imports could undermine investment in local refining.
The business advocacy group made the recommendation in a policy brief signed by its Chief Executive Officer Dr Muda Yusuf on Sunday.
The group noted that average Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) imports increased from 5.9 million litres per day in May 2026 to 18.1 million litres per day in June, a 206.8% jump.
The group noted that imports rose further to 19.7 million litres per day in July, accounting for 43.3% of total PMS receipts, compared with 12.4% in May.
What the CPPE is saying
CPPE said imports remain necessary when domestic supply cannot meet demand, including during refinery outages, seasonal demand increases, quality constraints or strategic-stock replenishment.
However, it argued that import permits should only be granted after NMDPRA establishes and publishes the size of any supply deficit.
- “The concern is not with imports required to close a genuine and independently verified shortfall,” the organisation said, adding that the policy should prevent imports from displacing adequate domestic production.
The group said a credible assessment should consider projected demand, refinery output, inventories, committed domestic deliveries, product specifications and logistics constraints before determining the volume that needs to be imported.
It also recommended that qualified domestic refiners be given a defined period to meet identified demand before any residual requirement is allocated to importers.
CPPE’s position comes against the backdrop of increased domestic refining activity.
- The…
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