Rapid Vessel Approvals Highlight Regulatory Efficiency Amid November Fuel Import Surge
Official records from the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) indicate that petroleum product vessels calling at Nigerian ports in November 2025 were largely cleared within 24 hours, reflecting faster turnaround times in the country’s downstream regulatory process.
Data from the authority’s vessel clearance schedule for the month show that many applications were approved just hours after submission, with several vessels receiving clearance on the same day their documents were filed.
In a number of instances, approvals were granted within minutes, particularly when operators submitted complete documentation at the outset.
The schedule, which covers dozens of vessels operated by both major and independent marketers, reveals that processing times generally ranged from a few minutes to several hours, with most approvals completed well under one day.
Only a small number of applications stretched close to or slightly beyond 18 hours, a situation often linked to late submissions, document corrections or technical challenges on the application portal.
Vessels associated with Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals FZE recorded some of the quickest approvals during the period.
Records show that at least two Dangote-linked vessels were cleared in about 10 to 11 minutes, underscoring what the regulator described as immediate processing once all required documents were properly submitted.
Further details from the records suggest that delays were largely caused by applicant-related issues rather than regulatory constraints. Notes attached to some applications cited incomplete documentation, resubmissions and portal-related glitches as reasons for extended processing times.
Major industry players, including NNPC Trading, NNPC Retail, Ardova, TotalEnergies, NIPCO, Rainoil and Eterna, featured prominently in the clearance schedule. Processing times varied across applications submitted by the same companies, a trend analysts say highlights the importance of compliance and submission timing, rather than company size or ownership structure, in determining approval speed.
The improved clearance timeline comes against the backdrop of intense public scrutiny over fuel import volumes in November.
According to NMDPRA data, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited and other marketers imported at least 1.5 billion litres of petrol during the month.
At an average of 52.1 million litres per day, November’s import volume represents the highest level since the Dangote refinery commenced petrol production in September 2024.
During the same month, the $20 billion Lekki-based refinery supplied about 19.5 million litres daily, translating to roughly 585 million litres for the month, highlighting Nigeria’s continued reliance on imported fuel despite growing domestic refining capacity.
Addressing the spike in imports, the NMDPRA attributed the development to low fuel supply recorded in September and October 2025, which it said fell below national demand levels.
The Dangote refinery, however, disputed this explanation, accusing the former NMDPRA Chief Executive, Farouk Ahmed, of economic sabotage.
