The average retail price of Automotive Gas Oil, commonly known as diesel, rose by 25.24% in May 2025 compared to the same month last year, according to fresh data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).
Consumers paid an average of N1,758.26 per litre in May 2025, up from N1,403.96 per litre in May 2024.
The NBS report titled “Automotive Gas Oil (Diesel) Price Watch” also revealed a marginal month-on-month increase of 2.08%, as prices climbed from N1,722.45 in April 2025.
This comes amid a broader decline in inflation. Nigeria’s headline inflation rate dropped to 22.97% in May 2025, marking the second month in a row of reduced inflationary pressure. In comparison, April 2025 recorded a rate of 23.71%. Year-on-year, the May 2025 figure is significantly lower than the 33.95% recorded in May 2024 — a decline of 10.98 percentage points.
NBS breaks down diesel regional variations
Breaking down regional variations, Benue (N2,441.46), Adamawa (N2,350.32), and Plateau (N2,201.52) recorded the highest average diesel prices in May. Conversely, Ondo (N1,318.40), Kogi (N1,360.00), and Anambra (N1,361.02) posted the lowest prices.
The North-Central region, which includes seven states and the FCT, had the highest regional average at N1,920.47 per litre. The South-West zone reported the lowest average price at N1,553.19.
In other parts of the country, average diesel prices stood at N1,769.28 in the North-West, N1,767.21 in the North-East, N1,632.33 in the South-East, and N1,857.19 in the South-South.
In April 2025, diesel prices had already seen a significant annual jump of 21.72%, rising from N1,415.06 in April 2024 to N1,722.45 per litre.
States with the highest and lowest diesel prices remained consistent between April and May: Benue, Adamawa, and Plateau held the top spots for highest prices, while Kogi, Ondo, and Anambra recorded the lowest.
