During the first nine months of 2025, Nigeria may have realized a gain of N6 trillion from improvements in the downstream petroleum sector.
At the current Nigerian International Energy Summit (NIES) in Abuja, the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) revealed this, pointing out that the nation has suffered severe economic losses as a result of decades of importing heavy petroleum products.
At the summit, the chief executive of the organization, Engr. According to Saidu Mohammed, the government is putting a high priority on domestic refining and aiming to source all of Nigeria’s petroleum product needs domestically.
The downstream industry has long been linked to drawbacks, such as poor supply chains and inadequate infrastructure. That story is evolving. According to Mohammed, the downstream is progressively achieving the stability needed to draw in investment and is becoming more market-driven. He ascribed the N6 trillion benefits to the combined effects of increasing gas consumption, full downstream deregulation, and the selling of petroleum products in naira.
“Nigeria has gained about N6 trillion in just nine months of 2025 by reducing losses previously incurred through importation,” he said.
The energy sector is now a net contributor to foreign exchange revenues rather than a drain on national reserves thanks to the reforms, he continued.
The head of NMDPRA further emphasized the increasing significance of natural gas in Nigeria’s energy transformation, characterizing the gas industry as a developing pillar of both regional exports and domestic energy supply.
He stated that measures are being taken to develop infrastructure, boost demand, and establish a commercially driven gas market that can draw investment throughout the value chain as part of the Federal Government’s Decade of Gas strategy.
Mohammed emphasized that maintaining investor confidence still depends on effective regulation, pointing out that project viability needs to be proven before permits are granted.
“Projects cannot be approved just for the sake of approval. He stated that all projects, including retail gas stations, must be in line with Nigeria’s strategic energy and economic strategy.
He claims that public funds alone cannot support the downstream rejuvenation and that new pipeline-based distribution centered around refinery hubs must replace ineffective product delivery systems.
For this reason, we are creating a plan in which pipelines start at refinery hubs like Dangote, Port Harcourt, and others. When outdated corridors are no longer practical, this will realign flow directions and replace aging infrastructure,” he continued.
