Abuja, June 25, 2026 – The average retail cost of automotive gas oil, commonly known as diesel, rose sharply across Nigeria in May 2026, reflecting a significant increase compared to the same period last year.
According to the latest Diesel Price Watch released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), the average price of a litre of diesel stood at N3,277.47 in May 2026, up from N1,758.26 recorded in May 2025.
The bureau noted that the year-on-year increase represented an 86.40 per cent rise in the average retail price paid by consumers nationwide.
The report also showed that diesel prices increased on a monthly basis, climbing by 32.44 per cent from the average of N2,474.69 per litre recorded in April 2026.
A breakdown by state indicated that Nasarawa recorded the highest average diesel price in May at N3,785.84 per litre. Plateau followed with N3,576.40, while Ebonyi ranked third at N3,574.75 per litre.
Conversely, Kogi posted the lowest average price at N2,823.85 per litre. Benue and Kebbi followed with average prices of N2,961.33 and N3,016.14 per litre respectively.
Regional analysis revealed that the North-West recorded the highest zonal average price at N3,313.60 per litre. The South-West, on the other hand, posted the lowest average diesel cost at N3,227.55 per litre, highlighting price variations across different parts of the country.
The latest figures underscore the continued upward trend in diesel costs, a development that could further impact transportation, manufacturing and other sectors that depend heavily on the product.