Dangote Refinery Insists it Does not Import Refined Fuel into Nigeria

Dangote Refinery has denied allegations that it brings refined petroleum products into Nigeria, stressing that the petrol and other fuels it sells are produced locally.

The refinery’s chief executive officer, David Bird, made the clarification during a news conference in Lagos on Wednesday, following public claims questioning the company’s refining capacity and the true source of products sold into the market.

Bird explained that some materials being described as “imported fuel” are not finished petrol or diesel. He said they are intermediate feedstocks used to improve refinery output and efficiency, and they still require further processing before they become market-ready products.

He listed examples such as high-sulphur gasoline blend components and straight-run naphtha, describing them as unfinished inputs that undergo extensive processing at the facility in Lekki before being converted into petrol, diesel, or aviation fuel.

According to Bird, all petrol, diesel, and aviation fuel sold from the refinery is refined locally in Lekki to Nigerian requirements and international Euro V standards.

He added that the use of intermediate feedstocks is normal practice in large and complex refineries globally, and he pointed to major refining markets such as the United States, the United Kingdom, Singapore, and India.

Bird also described the Dangote facility as a merchant refinery. He said, unlike refineries that sit directly at the end of crude oil pipelines, the Lekki plant sources different crude and feedstock grades mainly by sea. He said that flexibility helps the refinery maximise its advanced conversion units and upgrade inputs into higher value clean fuels and petrochemicals.

He accused some oil marketers and certain regulatory actors of weakening Nigeria’s local refining push by importing cheaper fuels that do not meet strong quality standards, while refusing to buy locally refined products. He warned that such practices threaten Nigeria’s energy security and put pressure on the country’s foreign exchange position.

On supply, Bird said the refinery currently supplies about 45 million litres of petrol daily to the domestic market. He added that the company did not export petrol during the peak Christmas and New Year period, stating that exports only happen when there is excess supply or when local demand is limited, especially in the early phase of operations.

Bird also highlighted fuel quality, saying local refining has reduced sulphur and metal content in fuels now used in Nigeria, bringing them closer to the standard of fuels sold in Europe and North America.

He described the refinery as one of the most modern and automated facilities in the world, producing white products such as petrol, diesel, aviation fuel, and polypropylene. He said the company’s priority remains meeting domestic demand first, while building Nigeria into a hub for cleaner, world-class fuels in Africa.

He added that West Africa should not be treated as a dumping ground for inferior fuel products, stressing that Nigeria now has the capacity to produce better quality fuels for local use.