Nigeria has reached a major milestone in its energy sector, with local refineries supplying all the aviation fuel used in the country for 13 consecutive months.
Latest figures from the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) show that no Aviation Turbine Kerosene (ATK), also known as Jet A-1, was imported by Oil Marketing Companies between June 2025 and June 2026. Every litre of aviation fuel supplied during the period came from domestic refineries.
For years, Nigeria relied heavily on imported Jet A-1 because local refining capacity could not meet demand. The latest figures show that the situation has changed, reflecting the growing role of new and rehabilitated refineries in the country's petroleum industry.
This progress comes at a critical time for the aviation sector especially as at March 2026, Jet A-1 prices climbed from about ₦900 per litre in January to ₦2,557 per litre by the end of March, a 184 per cent increase driven by disruptions in the global oil market following the Middle East crisis.
The sharp rise squeezed airline operators, with aviation fuel accounting for about 40 per cent of their operating costs. Although airlines initially absorbed much of the increase, domestic fares later climbed to ₦200,000 and above for one-hour, one-way flights as fuel prices stayed between ₦1,750 and ₦2,650 per litre.
Against that backdrop, the shift to locally refined aviation fuel could help reduce exposure to foreign exchange fluctuations, improve product availability and strengthen supply across the industry.
The NMDPRA data also show that refinery output varied from month to month. Domestic refinery receipts averaged 1.3 million litres per day in June 2025, rising to 1.5 million litres in July and 3.5 million litres in August. Output fell to 1.6 million litres per day in September before recovering to 2.7 million litres in October.
No refinery receipts were recorded in November, but production rebounded strongly in December to 14 million litres per day, the highest level during the review period.
In 2026, receipts fell to 6.0 million litres per day in January and 1.6 million litres in February. Supply then recovered steadily to 2.1 million litres per day in March, 3.0 million litres in April and 4.3 million litres in May before easing to 2.5 million litres per day in June.
Month-on-month movements reflected those swings. Receipts rose by 15.4 per cent between June and July 2025 and by 133.3 per cent in August. They dropped by 54.3 per cent in September before rising by 68.8 per cent in October. November recorded a 100 per cent decline, followed by December's increase of 14 million litres per day. Output then fell by 57.1 per cent in January and 73.3 per cent in February before recovering by 31.3 per cent in March, 42.9 per cent in April and 43.3 per cent in May. In June, receipts declined by 1.8 million litres per day, or 41.9 per cent, while average ATK receipts fell from 3.6 million litres per day in May to 2.5 million litres in June, a decline of about 31 per cent.
Even with those fluctuations, aviation fuel consumption remained relatively steady. Daily demand stood at 3.5 million litres in January 2026, fell to 2.9 million litres in February and 2.1 million litres in March, then rose to 2.5 million litres in April and 3.1 million litres in May before easing to 2.9 million litres in June, a six per cent decline from the previous month.
According to the regulator, average aviation fuel consumption was about 2.9 million litres per day, close to Nigeria's 2026 benchmark demand of three million litres daily. The figures are based on volumes trucked into the domestic market.
The report also showed that ATK supply increased from 2.6 million litres per day in April to 3.6 million litres per day in May, representing growth of about 38.5 per cent during that reporting cycle.
The bigger story is that Nigeria has broken a long-standing dependence on imported aviation fuel and while keeping refinery output stable remains the next challenge, supplying the country's aviation fuel needs entirely from local refineries for 13 straight months marks another important step in strengthening Nigeria's energy industry.
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