The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority has set new conditions for granting petrol import licences, saying this will be based on published merit-based criteria and a transparent determination of supply shortfalls, as domestic refineries increase their share of the country’s fuel supply. The Authority Chief Executive, Rabiu Umar, disclosed this while delivering the keynote address at the 2026 OTL Africa Downstream Energy Week in Lagos, with the theme ‘Secure Energy, Shared Prosperity’. Umar said import licences would remain available to eligible operators, but the process would be guided by clear criteria and verifiable assessments of supply gaps to ensure transparency and fair competition in the downstream petroleum market. “For our importers, the door stays open. Import licences will be issued only on the basis of published merit-based criteria and also a transparent shortfall determination that everybody can audit,” he said. His position comes amid a significant shift in Nigeria’s petrol supply, with the regulator saying domestic refineries now account for about 75 per cent of the petrol supplied to the country, while imports have more than halved within a year.

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