Nigeria’s Dangote refinery will export up to 20 million liters of petrol daily after surpassing domestic demand, a milestone that could ease foreign exchange pressure and cut the country’s reliance on fuel imports, the company announced Wednesday.
The volume surpasses Nigeria’s average daily consumption of 50 million to 60 million liters, leaving a surplus of up to 20 million liters available for export.
According to the statement, Aliko Dangote, president of Dangote Group, confirmed that a structured offtake agreement had been concluded with selected marketers to ensure nationwide distribution and eliminate supply instability.
“We have agreed to an offtake framework to supply more than 65 million liters daily for the domestic market,” Dangote said. “Any surplus, estimated at 15 million to 20 million liters, will be exported.”
The announcement marks a structural shift for Africa’s largest crude oil producer, which for decades imported the bulk of its refined petroleum products despite sitting on substantial crude reserves.
That dependence exposed Nigeria to chronic foreign exchange outflows, naira volatility, logistics disruptions and periodic scarcity.
With domestic refining now exceeding national demand, analysts project significant annual savings in foreign exchange previously spent on petrol imports, easing pressure on external reserves and improving trade balance stability.
The refinery’s output also exceeded design expectations. Bayo Bashir Ojulari, group chief executive of NNPC Ltd., said during a recent facility visit that the plant surpassed its rated capacity.
“This plant was designed for 650,000 barrels per day. None of us thought it would even reach 550,000. What we saw live today was 661,000. These are live parameters, not reports or photographs,” he said.
