Nigeria Ends Jet Fuel Imports as Local Refineries Power Aviation Sector for 13 Straight Months

Nigeria has achieved a major milestone in its downstream petroleum sector, with domestic refineries completely replacing imported Aviation Turbine Kerosene (ATK), also known as Jet A-1, for 13 consecutive months.

Official data from the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) showed that between June 2025 and June 2026, there was no recorded import of aviation fuel by Oil Marketing Companies, making local refineries the sole suppliers of the product across the country.

The development represents a significant shift for Nigeria’s aviation industry, which had depended heavily on imported Jet A-1 for years due to limited domestic refining capacity.

According to the NMDPRA statistics, domestic refinery receipts fluctuated during the period, increasing from 1.3 million litres per day in June 2025 to 1.5 million litres in July before rising sharply to 3.5 million litres in August.

Supplies later dropped to 1.6 million litres per day in September before recovering to 2.7 million litres in October. No receipts were recorded in November, but production rebounded dramatically in December, reaching 14 million litres per day, the highest level recorded during the 13-month period.

In 2026, refinery receipts declined to 6.0 million litres per day in January and further dropped to 1.6 million litres in February. Output later recovered to 2.1 million litres in March, increased to 3.0 million litres in April, rose to 4.3 million litres in May before falling to 2.5 million litres per day in June.

The June figure represented a 41.9 per cent decline compared to May’s average daily receipts of 4.3 million litres.

Month-by-month analysis showed that despite fluctuations in production volumes, domestic refineries consistently met national aviation fuel demand without relying on imports.

Industry analysts say the sustained local supply reflects the growing contribution of Nigeria’s refining sector and reduces pressure on foreign exchange previously spent on importing aviation fuel.

The uninterrupted domestic supply is also expected to improve energy security, strengthen the aviation value chain and support the Federal Government’s drive to achieve self-sufficiency in refined petroleum products while reducing dependence on imported fuels.