Diesel Price in Nigeria Today: Monthly Tracker Since 2019

Diesel runs most of Nigeria’s generators, so its price decides what a kilowatt-hour of backup power costs in almost every home, office and factory. This page tracks the price every month since 2019, explains where each number comes from, and turns it into what it means for your generator bill.

What is the price of diesel in Nigeria today?

In November 2026, diesel sells for about ₦1,820–₦2,000 a litre at Lagos pumps, depending on the station. Dangote’s refinery price (the gantry price that sets the market) was ₦1,840 in early November, and Lagos depots such as Duport, Ibachem and Ibeto sold at ₦1,825. In October the gantry price moved between ₦1,700 and ₦1,850. Pumps sell for roughly ₦50–₦150 above the depot price, and more outside Lagos.

A year earlier, in October 2025, the national average was ₦1,399. Diesel has not come back down to its pre-2022 level since the spike that followed the war in Ukraine, and in 2026 it has swung with the price of crude: up to about ₦2,050 when Brent peaked in April, down to about ₦1,700 by mid-year, and back near ₦2,000 in September.

Diesel price in Nigeria, last 12 months

How has the diesel price changed since 2019?

It has gone up roughly eightfold in naira, and about twice in dollars. Diesel cost about ₦230 a litre in 2019. It doubled in a few months in 2022 as global diesel prices spiked, then rose again as the naira was floated in 2023 and fell from about ₦460 to over ₦1,400 to the dollar. Most of the increase since 2023 is the exchange rate, because diesel is priced off imports even when it is refined in Nigeria.

What does the diesel price mean for my generator bill?

Divide the price of a litre by about 3 to get the fuel cost of each kWh. A typical diesel generator, run at about half its rating, turns one litre into roughly 3 kWh of electricity. So at ₦1,820 a litre every kWh costs about ₦609 in fuel, before servicing, repairs and diesel that goes missing, which add another ₦60–₦120.

A generator that is much bigger than the load it carries does worse, because it burns fuel just to keep turning. The full working, including how load and engine age change the figure, is in our generator cost-per-kWh breakdown.

Where do these numbers come from?

From March 2019 to March 2026 the prices are the National Bureau of Statistics Automotive Gas Oil Price Watch, the national average retail price. A few early months are worked back from the year-on-year changes NBS published. NBS’s figures for April and May 2026 (₦2,475 and ₦3,277) are far above what any depot charged, and it has not published June onwards, so from April 2026 we use our own estimate: Dangote’s gantry price each month plus the margin Lagos pumps have charged above it, checked against the prices we pay on site.

The whole series is free to download below, with the source of every row. We update it monthly.

Is diesel going to get cheaper?

Not by much, on current evidence. Dangote’s refinery has made supply steadier and cut out some import costs, but it prices diesel against the international market, so the naira price still follows crude oil and the exchange rate. If you are planning around diesel, budget for ₦1,700–₦2,100 a litre and expect it to move.

That uncertainty is the strongest argument for working out what solar would save you: once the panels and battery are paid for, sunshine costs the same every month.