Nigeria’s daily petrol consumption data have always been a subject of controversy, with the numbers released by those who should know, sometimes not only conflicting, but wouldn’t just add up. Emmanuel Addeh writes that the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation’s recent revelation that the country’s fuel consumption rose by over 100 per cent in just four months has further added to the extant confusion. It is now public knowledge that despite being Africa’s largest oil producer, Nigeria imports all its petroleum product needs from outside the country and indeed outside the continent at huge logistical, handling and foreign exchange costs to the country.