West African gasoline imports rose on the year in June, as Nigerian marketers appeared to use second-quarter import permits before expiry and Saudi exports to the region surged to record highs.
Countries in the region, spanning from Senegal to Angola, imported 313,000 b/d of gasoline in June, according to Kpler, up by 9.4pc on the year and the highest since July 2025.
Nigeria was the largest importer, taking around 131,000 b/d last month, more than double May's 57,000 b/d. Independent marketers accounted for at least 39,000 b/d, after permits for around 700,000t of second-quarter gasoline imports expired at the end of June. The expiry appears to have encouraged more buying, after independent marketers recorded no imports in May, according to Kpler.
Nigeria's state-owned NNPC imported 50,000 b/d in June, while refiner Dangote brought in 12,000 b/d.
West African import growth was also supported by Ivory Coast and Angola. Ivory Coast imported 54,000 b/d last month, the highest in Kpler records stretching back to 2017. State-owned SIR's 75,000 b/d Abidjan refinery was under maintenance last month, according to one Ivorian trader, who said SIR issued a 40,000t gasoline import tender for June.
Angola received 27,000 b/d of gasoline in June, up slightly from 24,000 b/d in May. Its import demand has persisted despite the 30,000 b/d first phase of Angola's new Cabinda refinery starting commercial operations in May. Nigeria, Ivory Coast and Angola were the region's top gasoline importers in June.
Saudi gasoline arrivals rose from zero in May to 57,000 b/d in June, according to Kpler, as a wider premium for Atlantic basin gasoline over east-of-Suez values made west African outlets more profitable than Saudi Arabia's usual eastbound markets, traders said.
Saudi Arabia took 18pc of west Africa's gasoline import market, second only to Belgium, which supplied 83,000 b/d and held a 27pc share.
One trader said Atlantic basin gasoline was around a $14/bl premium to east-of-Suez values for August, with the July premium even wider.
Around 85pc of Saudi-origin gasoline volumes to west Africa loaded from Yanbu, while the remainder came from Rabigh, according to Kpler. The last recorded Yanbu-to-west Africa gasoline flow was in December 2025.
Supply from Saudi Arabia's Red Sea coast was "ample", one market source said, adding that freight, insurance and geopolitical risk had weakened the economics for eastbound shipments. Saudi gasoline exports from the Red Sea typically move to outlets including the UAE and Singapore.
Around 77pc of Saudi gasoline deliveries to west Africa were linked to Nigeria, with several cargoes transferred ship-to-ship off Lome before moving onwards. West African gasoline demand is largely driven by Nigeria, one trader said.
