Dangote counters NMDPRA, says his refinery meets domestic demand 100%

Dangote counters NMDPRA, says his refinery has more than N600b worth of petrol in stock

By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor

Aliko Dangote has pushed back on the claim by the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) that all local refineries combined produce just 50 per cent of domestic fuel consumption, insisting that his eponymous refinery in Lagos alone meets Nigeria’s requirements 100 per cent.

Dangote made the disclosure at the weekend when he took Zambian Energy Minister Makozo Chikote on a tour of the $20 billion refinery that is equipped to produce 650,000 barrels per day (bpd) of refined petroleum.

“We have more than enough. The refinery is producing enough refined products, like gasoline, diesel, and kerosene, to meet 100 per cent of Nigeria’s requirements,” he said.

Dangote, Africa’s richest man, also disclosed that his refinery has more than N600 billion worth of petrol in stock.

Abuja confirms daily import of 25m litres of fuel, despite output by Dangote, Warri, Port Harcourt, and other local refineries

Dangote was seemingly reacting to the claim last week by the NMDPRA that although fuel consumption has dropped to 50 million litres per day, half that quantity is still being imported daily because output by Dangote and other local refineries only meets 50 per cent of requirements. 

The government clarified, however, that no local refinery is involved in importation, with  the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) itself confirming that it has not imported refined products in 2025.

Ogbugo Ukoha, NMDPRA’s Executive Director, Distribution Systems, Storage and Retailing Infrastructure, disclosed after a stakeholders’ meeting in Abuja that petrol importation is necessary to stave off scarcity returning to the market. 

“Let me speak a little bit about supply. All of us have experienced a Yuletide free of any scarcity and let me just reconfirm that from year to year we saw an increase in the demand of PMS by 2021, 2022 up to 2023 just before the current administration came in,” he said.

“The daily PMS supply sufficiency was always in excess of 60 million, in fact averaging about 66 million a day for PMS.

“And following Mr. President’s withdrawal of subsidy, the announcement on May 29, 2023, we immediately saw a steep decline in consumption and between then and as we speak, we’ve continued to do plus or minus 50 million. 

“Of these 50 million litres averaging for each day, less than 50 per cent of that is contributed by domestic refineries and so the shortfall in accordance with the PIA (Petroleum Industry Act) is sourced by way of imports.”

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