**Nigeria’s Domestic Crude Supply to Refineries Drops to 15.84 Million Barrels Amid Supply Concerns**
Domestic crude supply to Nigeria’s refineries declined to 15.84 million barrels in May 2026, even as the facilities recorded a combined intake of 17.92 million barrels for the month, according to the latest data released by the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA).
The agency’s May 2026 fact sheet showed a drop in locally sourced crude compared to April, when domestic supply stood at 17.96 million barrels. Imports remained relatively low at 2.08 million barrels, meaning domestic crude still accounted for the majority of refinery feedstock at about 88.4 per cent.
The decline has raised fresh concerns within the oil and gas sector, particularly amid allegations of disruptions in the domestic crude supply chain. The Dangote Petroleum Refinery has recently pointed to possible sabotage and inconsistencies affecting crude delivery to local refineries.
Despite the reduction in supply, Nigerian refineries continued to demonstrate resilience, maintaining significant processing activity across the month. Industry data shows that domestic crude remained the dominant source of refinery intake, reflecting gradual progress in reducing reliance on imported crude.
However, the month-on-month decline from April has triggered renewed questions about the stability and reliability of domestic feedstock supply to local refineries.
The report also showed fluctuations in crude receipts across the first five months of 2026. Domestic supply rose steadily from January through April before declining in May, while total crude intake peaked in March at 20.92 million barrels before easing in subsequent months.
In addition, the NMDPRA data highlighted significant intake volumes at the Dangote Petroleum Refinery, which recorded 240.59 million litres of intermediates and gasoline blendstock in May. This marked a decline compared to earlier months in the year, which saw higher inflows.
The supply situation comes amid ongoing disputes in the downstream petroleum sector. The Dangote refinery has accused relevant authorities of failing to ensure adequate crude allocation, describing the shortfall as deliberate and detrimental to its operations. The Federal Government and the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd) have denied the allegation, insisting there is no sabotage in crude supply arrangements.
The refinery also disclosed that it currently receives about five crude cargoes monthly from NNPC, below its estimated requirement of 13 cargoes needed for full capacity operations.
Meanwhile, stakeholders in the modular refining space have stated that most smaller refineries depend on private crude arrangements rather than government allocations under the domestic crude supply framework.
Data from the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) further revealed that domestic refiners left about $3.13bn worth of crude unlifted in the first quarter of 2026 due to pricing disputes, grade mismatches and commercial constraints under the “willing buyer, willing seller” model.
Despite these challenges, the Dangote refinery continued to operate above installed capacity, recording a utilisation rate of 101.25 per cent in May and maintaining strong output across petrol, diesel and aviation fuel production.
The facility also contributed significantly to domestic supply while exporting surplus refined products, marking a continued shift in Nigeria’s downstream petroleum landscape.