Dangote Petroleum Refinery will supply between 60 million and 65 million litres of petrol daily to Nigeria’s domestic market under a structured distribution agreement aimed at stabilising nationwide fuel supply, its president Aliko Dangote said.
Dangote said the refinery’s output exceeds Nigeria’s estimated daily petrol consumption of 50 million to 60 million litres, creating a potential export surplus of between 15 million and 20 million litres per day.
“We have agreed an offtake framework to supply up to 65 million litres daily for the domestic market,” Dangote said in Lagos. “Any surplus will be exported.”
The move marks a significant shift for Nigeria, Africa’s largest crude oil producer, which for decades relied heavily on fuel imports due to limited domestic refining capacity.
Under a distribution framework endorsed by the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, supply will be channelled through major marketers including MRS Oil Nigeria Plc, NNPC Retail, 11 Plc, TotalEnergies Marketing Nigeria Plc, Rainoil Limited, Ardova Plc and others.
The structured arrangement is intended to reduce supply bottlenecks and curb market distortions that have historically contributed to fuel shortages.
Industry analysts say that if sustained, the refinery’s output could help Nigeria conserve billions of dollars previously spent on petrol imports, ease pressure on foreign exchange reserves and improve trade balance stability.
During a recent visit to the facility, NNPC Limited’s Group Chief Executive Officer, Bayo Bashir Ojulari, described the refinery as a strategic national asset capable of strengthening energy security and boosting industrial growth.
Ojulari said the refinery was currently operating above its initial design expectations. “This plant was designed for 650,000 barrels per day. What we saw was 661,000 barrels per day in live operation,” he said.
With domestic refining capacity now exceeding national petrol demand, Nigeria may be positioned to reduce its long-standing dependence on imported fuel and enhance supply stability.
