• Dangote Refinery supplied 40.7ml/d to the domestic market,  exported 17.1ml/d

The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) has revealed that in April 2026, Nigeria met 99.2 per cent of its Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) crude oil production quota of 1.5mb/d.

This was revealed in the X handle of the commission, which stressed that the output rose to 1.48b/d of crude oil and 174,873b/d of condensate.

The total crude oil and condensate production, according to NUPRC, was 1.66mb/d.

“Nigeria’s production increased in the month of April to 1,488,540 barrels of crude oil and 174,873 barrels of condensates totaling 1, 663, 413 barrels per day. This implies that Nigeria met 99.2 per cent of its 1.5mbpd OPEC quota of crude oil.”

The report revealed the that the figure also represents a 7.58 per cent increase when compared to the month of March. NUPRC said the peak production in April was 1.85mbpd while the lowest production for the month was 1.46mbpd.

In a related development, the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) in its April 2026 Factsheet released yesterday, said domestic consumption of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) or petrol rose to 51.1ml/d in April compared to the 47.3ml/d recorded in March 2026.

In this period, 40.7ml/d were supplied from the domestic refineries, while 3.7ml/d were imported compared to 34.2ml/d that was supplied from domestic refineries in March as well as the 5.9ml/d that was imported in the same period. Stock sufficiency, however, reduced to 17.7 days from the 15.5 days in the previous month.

According to the NMDPRA, in the period under review, Dangote Refinery Petrochemicals Company (DRPC) achieved 100 percent capacity utilisation for most of the days in April with an average of 99.12 per cent capacity utilisation.

According to the factsheet, the refinery produced 53.6ml/d of petrol, supplied 40.7ml/d to the domestic market and exported 17.1ml/d.

Equally, in the same period, Dangote produced 23.6ml/d of diesel, supplied 8.0ml/d to the domestic market and exported 17.8ml/d. Similarly, the refinery produced 22.9ml/d of aviation kerosene, supplied 2.6ml/d to the domestic market and exported 20.5ml/d.

Dangote, according to the factsheet, recorded 18 days sufficiency of petrol, 39 days of diesel, 70 days of aviation fuel, and 13 days of LPG.

On the other hand, NMDPRA said the Nigerian National Petroleum Company refineries, which are state-owned were shutdown in April.

According to the factsheet, Warri Petroleum Refinery Company (WRPC) and Kaduna Refinery Company (KRPC) were recorded zero production.

On the daily consumption benchmarks, NMDPRA said in April, the benchmark for petrol was 51.1ml/d, diesel 17.3ml/d, aviation fuel 2.6ml/d and 4.8KT/day of domestic gas.

On crude oil, NMDPRA said the volume supplied to domestic refineries decreased to 0.612mb/d from the 0.674mb/d recorded in March.

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) is deepening its investment in human capital and institutional development, with Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, pledging renewed support for research, ICT infrastructure and student-focused projects at Yakubu Gowon University.

Adeniyi made the commitment on Tuesday at the Customs Headquarters in Maitama, Abuja, while receiving the Vice-Chancellor of the university, Hakeem Fawehinmi, alongside other principal officers during a courtesy visit focused on expanding institutional collaboration.

The Customs boss said the Service was prepared to revive and strengthen a long-standing partnership with the university through targeted interventions capable of delivering measurable impact in education, border management studies and national development.

Speaking during the engagement, Adeniyi recalled that discussions to formalise collaboration between both institutions dated back several years when he served as Commandant of the Nigeria Customs Command and Staff College.

He said: “I have a long institutional history with this university. During my tenure as Commandant of the Nigeria Customs Command and Staff College, we made serious efforts to formalise a partnership through a Memorandum of Understanding. We went very far in the process and were close to signing, but leadership changes on both sides affected the process.”

Despite the delay in formalising the agreement, the CGC noted that the Service had sustained support for the institution through several interventions designed to improve learning conditions and digital access.

“At different times, we supported the university with transportation facilities, including the provision of a 32-seater bus. We also established a fully equipped computer centre with close to one hundred workstations. These were deliberate efforts aimed at building lasting institutional partnerships,” Adeniyi said.

The Customs helmsman stressed that the Service was more interested in projects with direct and sustainable impact on students and the academic environment.

“For us, beyond legacy, what matters most is impact. We understand the realities facing Nigerian universities, from transportation challenges to infrastructure gaps. Our interest is to support initiatives that will create a conducive learning environment and positively impact students,” he said.

Adeniyi further explained that the Service was willing to adopt a phased implementation strategy in executing identified projects where necessary.

“If there are multiple projects and we are unable to execute everything at once, we can adopt a phased approach and focus on priority areas that will make the greatest difference,” he added.

He also underscored the importance of strengthening the profile of the Federal Capital Territory’s premier public university, noting that the institution should reflect Abuja’s national status.

“It is important for us to have a university in Abuja that truly reflects the status of Nigeria’s capital. I am willing to work with you in that regard,” the CGC noted.

Earlier, Fawehinmi commended the leadership of the Nigeria Customs Service under Adeniyi, describing the agency as a critical institution supporting the Federal Government’s economic and governance reforms.

He explained that the university’s growing student population and operational demands had made strategic partnerships increasingly important, especially in areas relating to transportation, ICT infrastructure and research support.

“We have come with the highest level of leadership of the university to congratulate you and appreciate the tremendous work being done by the Nigeria Customs Service under your leadership.

“As the only conventional public university in the Federal Capital Territory, we face enormous responsibilities. Support in areas such as mass transit buses, ICT infrastructure, research facilities, and professional collaboration will significantly strengthen our capacity,” he said.

The Vice Chancellor also identified the university’s Centre for Defence and Migration Studies as a potential platform for collaboration with the Customs Service in border management, migration studies, executive training and national security research.

“We are ready to partner with the Nigeria Customs Service. The real beneficiaries of such collaboration will be young Nigerians who represent the future leadership of this country,” he added.

The country’s port system is being repositioned as the engine room of a new blue economy strategy aimed at unlocking investment, boosting trade competitiveness and reversing its underperformance in regional cargo traffic, the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) has said.

Speaking at the Blue Economy Investment Summit in Abuja, Managing Director of the authority, Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho, declared that ongoing reforms and increasing private sector participation are positioning Nigeria at the forefront of Africa’s blue economy growth, with ports expected to play a central role in driving the shift.

Dantsoho, however, highlighted a critical imbalance that underscores the urgency of reform: Nigeria currently handles only about 25 per cent of West Africa’s cargo traffic despite accounting for more than 60 per cent of the region’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

“This clearly shows that we have not fully optimised our potential,” he said.

He stressed that the Federal Government’s reform agenda, being driven through the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, is designed to reverse this trend by modernising port infrastructure, improving efficiency and aligning operations with global maritime standards.

“The time has come for a paradigm shift in the structure of Nigeria’s economy towards the full utilisation of our marine resources. Our port system, if properly harnessed, can serve as a major driver of economic growth,” Dantsoho said.

The NPA boss positioned the reform programme as a strategic play to attract investment and deepen Nigeria’s competitiveness in global shipping. Key initiatives include port modernisation, deployment of a Trade Single Window, implementation of a Port Community System, development of deep seaports and full digitalisation of port operations.

“This is to reposition our ports for global competitiveness,” he added.

He emphasised that private capital will be critical to bridging infrastructure gaps, noting that the authority is actively promoting project financing models to accelerate delivery and improve operational efficiency.

“We are open to private sector participation through project financing. This approach is already improving efficiency and providing access to funding for critical infrastructure,” Dantsoho said.

According to him, the reforms are expected to deliver measurable commercial outcomes across the maritime value chain, including improved liner connectivity, the attraction of larger vessels, reduced freight costs and expansion of Nigeria’s non-oil export base.

“The ultimate goal is to improve liner connectivity, attract bigger vessels, reduce freight costs, and expand our export base, which will significantly boost revenue generation.

“Competitiveness in the global maritime industry requires efficient operations, competitive pricing and strong hinterland connectivity.

“Nigerian ports must remain adaptive to evolving global shipping trends. With sustained commitment to these initiatives, Nigeria’s port system will enter a new phase and emerge as a leading maritime logistics hub in Africa,” he said.

Dantsoho also pointed to Nigeria’s inherent structural advantages, including its strategic geographic position, large domestic market and economic scale, as factors that could support its ambition to become a regional maritime hub comparable to established global centres.

“By virtue of our strategic location, market size and economic strength, Nigeria is well-positioned to function as the maritime hub for West Africa,” he said.

In his remarks, the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Dr. Adegboyega Oyetola, reinforced the investment case for the sector, citing the country’s expansive coastline and inland waterways network as key assets.

He noted that Nigeria’s more than 823-kilometre coastline and its location along the Gulf of Guinea provide a natural advantage for maritime trade and logistics, while recent reforms have strengthened institutional coordination, enhanced maritime security and boosted investor confidence.

Oyetola added that the maritime sector already accounts for over 90 per cent of Nigeria’s international trade by volume, underscoring its central role in the country’s economic architecture and the urgency of fully unlocking its blue economy potential.