Report: Lagos Consumes More Fuel Than 11 Nigerian States Combined

Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja

In line with its status as Nigeria’s commercial nerve centre, data from the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), has shown that Lagos state consumes more petrol than the combined total of 11 states in the country.

A THISDAY analysis of the agency’s presentation to the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) in January relating to the nation’s December 2025 usage, indicated that while a total of over 1.97 billion litres of petrol were distributed nationwide during the month, Lagos alone accounted for 257.7 million litres, representing about 13.04 per cent of total national supply.

By comparison, the 11 least-consuming states, including Jigawa, Ebonyi, Bayelsa, Yobe, Ekiti, Taraba, Gombe, Kogi, Borno, Zamfara and Katsina, jointly recorded 257.3 million litres. Their combined share of national distribution stood at 13.02 per cent, slightly below Lagos’ standalone share.

The difference between Lagos and the combined 11 states was 408,567 litres, the data showed, underscoring the scale of concentration in fuel consumption within Nigeria’s commercial capital.

Jigawa emerged as the lowest-consuming state in the country, recording 13.4 million litres, equivalent to just 0.68 per cent of national supply. Ebonyi followed with 14.5 million litres (0.73 per cent), while Bayelsa posted 16. 9 million litres (0.86 per cent).

In the same vein, Yobe received 18.4 million litres (0.93 per cent), Ekiti 21 million litres (1.06 per cent), and Taraba 22.9 million litres (1.16 per cent). Besides, Gombe recorded 24.6 million litres (1.25 per cent), Kogi 25.25 million litres (1.28 per cent), Borno 25.5 million litres (1.30 per cent), Zamfara 26.88 million litres (1.36 per cent), and Katsina 27.69 million litres (1.40 per cent).

Together, these 11 states consumed less than the volume consumed by Lagos alone in December, according to the NMDPRA’s document to FAAC.

In terms of high consumption, after Lagos, Ogun State ranked second with 132.24 million litres, accounting for 6.69 per cent of the national total. The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) followed with 112.22 million litres, representing 5.68 per cent.

The analysis further showed that Oyo recorded 93.51 million litres (4.73 per cent), narrowly ahead of Kano, which posted 93.2 million litres (4.72 per cent). These five:  Lagos, Ogun, FCT, Oyo and Kano jointly accounted for 688.94 million litres, representing 34.86 per cent of total national petrol distribution for the month. In effect, five locations absorbed more than one-third of all petrol supplied nationwide during the month under consideration.

Similarly, Delta received 87.4 million litres (4.43 per cent), while Adamawa recorded 86.36 million litres (4.37 per cent). Edo posted 60.6 million litres (3.07 per cent), Rivers 59.5 million litres (3.01 per cent), and Kaduna 59.2 million litres (3 per cent).

In the South-east, Anambra led the zone with 62.8 million litres (3.18 per cent), followed by Enugu with 46.71 million litres (2.36 per cent), Imo with 41.2 million litres (2.09 per cent), Abia with 38.89 million litres (1.97 per cent), and Ebonyi, which recorded the lowest in the zone at 14.5 million litres (0.73 per cent).

Furthermore, other states posted moderate figures. Akwa Ibom received 44.3 million litres (2.24 per cent), Bauchi 39.67 million litres (2.01 per cent), Cross River 33.6 million litres (1.70 per cent), Benue 33.48 million litres (1.69 per cent), Nasarawa 30.95 million litres (1.57 per cent) and  Niger 47.82 million litres (2.42 per cent). 

Besides, Ondo got 50,808,599 litres (2.57 per cent), Osun 49,072,602 litres (2.48 per cent), Plateau 36,994,483 litres (1.87 per cent), Sokoto 49,774,274 litres (2.52 per cent), Kebbi 42,591,961 litres (2.16 per cent), Kwara 47,411,316 litres (2.40 per cent), and Abia with 38,891,005 litres.

Regionally, the South-west zone, driven overwhelmingly by Lagos, accounted for a disproportionately large share of total petrol consumption. Lagos alone consumed nearly twice the volume of the entire North-east’s lowest-consuming cluster combined.

The data also highlighted stark intra-regional contrasts. In the North-west, for instance, Kano’s 93.25 million litres dwarfed Jigawa’s 13.44 million litres, despite both states being in the same geopolitical zone. Similarly, oil-producing Bayelsa’s 16.91 million litres was significantly lower than several non-oil-producing states.

With national truck-out volume approaching almost 2 billion litres in a single month, the December distribution pattern reflected the concentration of economic activity, population density and vehicular movement in specific urban centres.

Emphatically, Lagos’ 13.04 per cent share of national petrol consumption reinforced its position as Nigeria’s dominant commercial hub, while Jigawa’s 0.68 per cent marked the lowest demand footprint in the federation for the period under review.