Despite an increase in the pump price of Premium Motor Spirit, also known as petrol, daily consumption rose by 10.78 per cent in April to 52.4 million litres, from 47.3 million litres recorded in March, data from the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority has indicated.

Petrol price averaged N1,370 per litre in April, up by about 13.8 per cent from N1,180 per litre in March.

The increase in petrol consumption came amid persistent price adjustments by the Dangote Refinery, which changed its ex-depot petrol price several times between March and April in response to fluctuations in global crude oil prices and market conditions.

In early April, the refinery raised its gantry price to about N1,275 per litre from N1,200 per litre.

Industry reports indicated that the refinery implemented at least five price adjustments within weeks as tensions in the international oil market pushed crude prices higher.

The Authority, in its April report released on Tuesday, disclosed that petrol supply from the Dangote Refinery and imports also rose by 10.7 percent, from 40.1 million litres per day in March to 44.4 million litres per day in April.

A breakdown of the data showed that supply from the Dangote Refinery rose by 19 percent to 40.7 million litres per day in April, from 34.2 million litres per day in March, while petrol imports dropped by 37.3 percent to 3.7 million litres per day in April from 5.9 million litres per day in March.

The report further disclosed that imported crude oil dropped by 95.65 percent to 0.41 million barrels in April, from 9.43 million barrels in March.

Crude oil supply from Nigerian oil companies to local refineries rose by 56 percent to 17.99 million barrels, from 11.48 million barrels recorded in March.

NMDPRA revealed that the 650,000 barrels-per-day capacity Dangote Refinery attained 99.12 percent capacity utilisation in April, while government-owned refineries in Port Harcourt, Warri and Kaduna remained inactive.

The report also disclosed that average cooking gas supply in April stood at 4,545 metric tonnes per day, while consumption was 4,818 metric tonnes per day.

Gas supply to the power sector was put at 0.549 billion standard cubic feet per day (Bscf/day), while supply to industries stood at 0.468 Bscf/day.