Again, Dangote Refinery Postpones Start of Petrol Production Due to Supply Issues

The Dangote Refinery has postponed its planned start date for supplying petrol within Nigeria, which was expected to begin in mid-August 2024. Originally, Aliko Dangote, the head of the Dangote Group, had announced that the refinery would start supplying petrol between August 10-12, 2024.

However, the date has been pushed back from July to August, and no official reason has been given yet.

Sources suggest that the delay is due to problems with getting enough crude oil for the refinery, which needs 650,000 barrels per day to operate fully.

This delay happened amid a disagreement between the Dangote Group and the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) over whether the Dangote Refinery received the promised 26 million barrels of crude oil from January to June 2024. While the NUPRC says it delivered the oil, the Dangote Group denies getting it.

Despite efforts by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to support local refineries by allowing them to buy crude oil in the Nigerian currency, Naira, issues persist.

Muda Yusuf, the head of the Centre for Promotion of Private Enterprise (CPPE), has criticised the unnecessary regulatory hurdles and distractions that Nigerian manufacturers face.

He calls on regulatory agencies to be more thoughtful and supportive in their roles to help the industry grow and stabilise.