The Dangote Petroleum Refinery has pushed back against claims that it lacks the capacity to meet Nigeria’s fuel demand, insisting it produces more than enough to satisfy both local consumption and export markets.
A senior official of the refinery, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told The PUNCH that marketers’ allegations are unfounded. “We produce more than enough fuel for the local market, and we export,” he said.
“So, what are they talking about?”This comes after the Executive Secretary of the Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers Association of Nigeria (DAPPMAN), Olufemi Adewole, alleged that private depot owners have been bearing the brunt of keeping fuel flowing across the country.
He claimed the Dangote facility has not met even the reduced domestic demand, stating, “It is we, the private depot owners, that have been bridging the gap and meeting the needs of Nigerians.”But Dangote Group maintains otherwise. Aliko Dangote, the founder, said, “We can satisfy more than the local needs of Nigeria. We have more than enough.”
According to him, local consumption is just 40% of the refinery’s total capacity, with the remaining 60% intended for export.Supporting this, the Group’s Vice President, Davakumar Edwin, revealed that the refinery produces 104 million litres of petroleum products daily, including 57 million litres of petrol, 20 million litres of jet fuel, and 37 million litres of diesel.
“The local consumption is just 46 million litres. The rest, 58 million litres, will be exported on a daily basis,” Edwin explained.Officials also challenged DAPPMAN to disclose how they determined the refinery’s stock levels.
“How did they arrive at the conclusion that the refinery can’t satisfy local needs?” asked a consultant to the 650,000-barrels-per-day plant.Amid the controversy, Dangote accused unnamed “cabals” — powerful individuals who profited from the fuel subsidy era — of trying to sabotage the refinery’s operations.
“We’re fighting, and the fight is not yet finished. But I have been fighting all my life, and I am 100 per cent sure I will win at the end of the day,” he vowed.Adewole, however, denied the existence of such cabals, stating, “There are no cabals… just vested interests protecting their investments.”
Despite this, a Dangote official insisted that these marketers are not acting in the interest of ordinary Nigerians. “They are interested in their pockets. Many of them engaged in round-tripping during the fuel subsidy era,” he said.
The standoff continues even as recent data shows Nigeria’s fuel importation has dropped significantly — from 44.6 million litres per day in August 2024 to 14.7 million litres as of April 2025.
Dangote remains confident the refinery will not only survive but thrive, saying, “The true consumption figure will be revealed for Nigerians to see one day.”
