Billionaire industrialist Aliko Dangote is stirring the pot in Nigeria’s oil sector, claiming the country’s daily petrol consumption has been grossly overstated — not 50 million litres, but just 33 million.

Speaking during a high-level visit to his Lagos refinery by members of Global CEO Africa, Dangote didn’t hold back. He alleged that fuel data was intentionally inflated in the past to enable massive corruption under the subsidy regime, with claims reaching an unbelievable 90 million litres a day.

“I didn’t want to enter the petroleum space because it’s a mafia business,” he said, slamming the industry for long-running corruption and data manipulation.

His claim directly challenges the official estimate from the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), which puts the figure closer to 50 million litres daily.

Experts are urging caution, though. Taiwo Ogunloye, a lawyer and energy analyst, said while Dangote’s position is influential, only the NMDPRA — backed by the Petroleum Industry Act — can provide verified national consumption data. “Dangote may have internal numbers, but only NMDPRA has the legal mandate to track the real figures,” he said.

Still, the billionaire’s bold accusation is putting new pressure on regulators and reviving long-standing calls for transparency and reform in Nigeria’s oil sector.