Petrol in May 2026 — where Nigerians are paying the most (and least)

The national PMS pump-price average sat at ₦998/L in the latest NMDPRA bulletin — flat against April, but down ~3% from the January peak of ₦1,028/L. The full state-by-state breakdown is on /petrol; this post unpacks what the spread between states actually tells you.

Cheapest five states this month: 1. Bayelsa — ₦920/L 2. Delta — ₦935/L 3. Rivers — ₦942/L 4. Edo — ₦948/L 5. Lagos — ₦955/L Four of those five are Niger Delta — within reasonable trucking distance of the Dangote refinery in Lekki + the Port Harcourt refinery (which finally hit sustained operation in Q1). Lagos squeaks in because the Lekki Free Zone refinery's depot ships straight into Lagos State retail.

Priciest five states: 1. Borno — ₦1,180/L 2. Yobe — ₦1,165/L 3. Adamawa — ₦1,138/L 4. Taraba — ₦1,122/L 5. Sokoto — ₦1,108/L Every one is a northeast/northwest state. The premium isn't just transport — it's insecurity risk-loading. Truck operators serving Borno and Yobe routes charge 18-22% above peer routes because of insurgency-related convoy escort costs, slower turnaround, and higher insurance.

The 28% national spread (Borno vs Bayelsa) is the widest in our archive. Pre-deregulation (2021-2023), the cap on retail price compressed regional differences artificially; post-deregulation, the gap widened to ~15-18%; the May 2026 28% reflects the combined effect of regional security pressures + uneven refinery throughput.

What this means for buyers. If you're a long-haul transport operator, fuel cost per route now varies enough that re-optimising your network around refinery-adjacent fuelling stops can save 6-9% on annual fuel spend. For consumers, the practical signal is simpler: budget for petrol as a regional variable, not a national constant — especially if you commute across state lines.

Watching. Two refineries are scheduled to resume in Q3 — Warri (NNPC) at partial capacity and a private modular refinery in Kaduna. Both would compress the north-south premium fast. The /petrol page and /data archive track this daily; the weekly newsletter summarises the meaningful shifts.