Faith Nyasuguta
The Dangote Petroleum Refinery has emerged as a game-changer for Africa’s energy sector, overturning decades of reliance on imported fuel and transforming West and Central Africa into a hub of petroleum self-sufficiency. With its massive production capacity and growing international footprint, the refinery is not only easing Nigeria’s long-standing fuel crises but also reshaping global trade flows.
At the heart of this transformation is the refinery’s colossal capacity of 650,000 barrels per day, a scale that places it among the largest in the world. For Nigeria, where the absence of a functional domestic refinery had for years forced the country to import the bulk of its petroleum products, the Dangote facility represents a long-awaited breakthrough. The refinery has already cut Nigeria’s fuel imports sharply, saving the country an estimated $10 billion annually in foreign exchange.
The facility produces diesel, gasoil, jet fuel and petrol, meeting both domestic demand and the needs of regional markets. Its exports now reach beyond Nigeria’s borders into West and Central Africa, with countries such as Senegal, Togo, Benin, and Gabon becoming regular buyers. The impact has been profound. Just two years ago, West Africa was heavily dependent on imports from Europe. Today, according to energy analysts, the region is instead receiving substantial supplies directly from the Dangote refinery.
Gary Clark of S&P Global Commodity Insights recently explained that the refinery has now become a reliable supplier of both diesel and jet fuel to the region. He noted that before the refinery began production, the market was at the mercy of European exports, often subject to global price swings and shipping delays. “Now, with Dangote coming online, we see gasoil, diesel, and jet fuel exported directly from Nigeria to meet West and Central African demands. More than enough jet fuel has been exported to supply both the region and far-flung destinations as well,” Clark said.
Between June and July 2025 alone, the refinery exported about one million tonnes of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), according to its president, Aliko Dangote. This marked the first time in history that Nigeria could claim the status of a net exporter of refined petroleum products. Fuel imports, which had once averaged half a million barrels per day in early 2023, had already dropped to only 88,000 barrels per day by the first quarter of 2025. As a result, South Africa has overtaken Nigeria as the continent’s largest petrol importer.
Industry reports attribute much of this change directly to the Dangote refinery’s ramp-up. A recent analysis projected that Nigeria’s total fuel imports for 2025 will stand at just 6.4 million tonnes – less than half of South Africa’s 15.5 million tonnes. This dramatic shift has not only elevated Nigeria’s energy independence but also redefined the entire sub-Saharan fuel market.
By mid-2025, the refinery was producing 550,000 barrels per day, meeting about 60% of Nigeria’s petrol demand. This shift has provided a level of stability never experienced before in the nation’s fuel sector, where scarcity, price fluctuations, and subsidy crises were once routine. Beyond petrol, Nigeria’s dependence on imported jet fuel has also ended. Imports of aviation fuel, once at 13,000 barrels per day, have fallen to just 5,000, with most airlines now sourcing directly from Dangote.
The refinery’s influence is no longer confined to Africa. Early in 2025, the United States imported 1.7 million barrels of jet fuel from the refinery in just one month. Saudi Aramco also purchased three major cargoes totaling 130 million liters, highlighting the global demand for Dangote’s output.
For West and Central Africa, the refinery has delivered what governments and private operators had long dreamed of: a stable, self-reliant supply of fuel. By reducing dependence on foreign imports and insulating the region from global market shocks, the refinery has set a new course for Africa’s energy future. It is not only an economic lifeline for Nigeria but a beacon of how African-led projects can alter the global energy map.
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