Nigeria has imported an average of two million barrels of crude oil from Libya, marking the first time the West African nation has sourced crude from the North African country.
The Dangote Petroleum Refinery is the primary importer, securing the feedstock to address ongoing domestic supply shortages that have constrained local refining operations.
92 million barrels, indicating that logistical or production bottlenecks continue to limit the flow of Nigerian crude to domestic processors.
The decision to import Libyan crude highlights the gap between Nigeria’s refining capacity and its available domestic feedstock.
Despite the operational ramp-up of major facilities, domestic crude oil supply to refineries fell to 15.84 million barrels in May 2026, according to data reported by The Punch.
This decline occurred even as facilities achieved a combined intake of 17.92 million barrels, indicating that logistical or production bottlenecks continue to limit the flow of Nigerian crude to domestic processors.
The import strategy comes as rising global oil prices begin to seep into the domestic economy, squeezing margins for manufacturers dependent on imported raw materials, according to CNBC.