Transport Day Newspaper

Yuletide Travels, Festivities Push Nigeria’s Petrol Bill to ₦1.58tn in December

Spending on petrol by Nigerians surged sharply during the 2025 Christmas and New Year period, with consumers estimated to have spent about ₦1.58 trillion in December alone, according to official industry data.

Figures released by the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) show that average daily petrol consumption in December stood at 63.7 million litres, the highest level recorded since October 2024. Over the 31 days of the month, total consumption was estimated at about 1.97 billion litres.

Industry analysts attribute the spike largely to increased travel, festive movements, heightened commercial activity and greater reliance on petrol-powered generators during the holiday season.
Using the average pump price of about ₦800 per litre that prevailed across major cities during the period, total consumer expenditure on petrol in December was estimated at ₦1.58 trillion.

Although petrol prices fell in parts of the country following a price reduction by the Dangote refinery—bringing prices down from around ₦900 to as low as ₦739 per litre in some locations—many filling stations, particularly in northern states, reportedly sold petrol above ₦800 per litre throughout the Yuletide.

The NMDPRA data also reveal a notable rise in consumption compared to the previous year. In December 2024, daily petrol use averaged 52.3 million litres, indicating a year-on-year increase of more than 11 million litres per day.

Supply figures for December 2025 show a combined daily average of 74.2 million litres of petrol entering the domestic market. Imports accounted for about 42.2 million litres per day, while the Dangote refinery supplied roughly 32 million litres daily. This suggests that close to 10 million litres per day were not trucked out during the period.

In total, Nigeria imported an estimated 1.31 billion litres of petrol in December, while the Dangote refinery supplied about 992 million litres, highlighting a growing contribution from domestic refining compared to previous months.

The regulator noted that improved output from the Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals significantly boosted domestic supply, increasing from about 19.5 million litres per day earlier in the year to 32 million litres per day in December.

Economists say the ₦1.58 trillion December petrol bill underscores the heavy cost of fuel on households and businesses in a fully deregulated market, even as improved supply from local refining and imports helped stabilise availability during one of the busiest travel periods of the year.

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