The average volume of petrol consumed in Nigeria has risen to 50 million litres per day, up from about 46.38 million litres in July 2023, two months after subsidy was removed by the current administration.
The surge in petrol consumption despite the ravaging scarcity of the product at the filling stations in Nigeria has been attributed to the return of smuggling activities fuelled by subsidy payment.
Head of Public Affairs, Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), George Ita, disclosed the new consumption figure in a response to THISDAY’s inquiry.
Ita stated this while dispelling speculations that daily fuel consumption in the country had hit 60 million litres to 65 million litres.
“Now, I can confirm to you that our daily consumption hasn’t surged up to anywhere near these (60 million to 65 million litres) levels. Average consumption is 50 million litres daily,” Ita said. He, however, sidestepped the question on the return of smuggling of petrol to other neighbouring African countries, arguing that only the security agencies that man Nigeria’s international border points had the power to address such issue.
