For decades, Africa’s place in the global oil economy was not merely subordinate; it was designed to be so.
A flame rises from a gas flare at the Dangote Industries oil refinery and fertilizer plant site in the Ibeju Lekki district of Lagos, Nigeria
Nigeria’s Dangote Refinery processed a record 40.1 million litres of crude per day in January, representing 57% of tthe otal supply and marking a 25% increase from 32 million litres in December 2025. The refinery now supplies 62% of the country’s Premium Motor Spirit, overtaking fuel importers for the first time ever. The giant plant–the world’s largest single-train refinery–finally reached full operational capacity at 650,000 bpd, marking an important milestone in Nigeria’s efforts to cut reliance on imported fuel.
The Dangote Petroleum Refinery has announced a major production milestone, achieving a combined daily output of 70 million litres of petrol and diesel, 45 million litres of petrol and 25 million litres of diesel, surpassing Nigeria’s domestic fuel demand.
Nigeria’s Dangote Refinery will expand capacity to 1.4 million bpd by 2028 with the addition of a new 750,000 bpd processing line, Argus reported on Monday. The second line will be built in Lagos alongside Dangote’s existing 650,000-bpd unit, which began commercial operations in 2024. A potential capacity expansion was part of the facility’s original […]
Global oil trading firm Vitol and US fuel distributor Sunoco have taken delivery of the first petrol cargo imported into the US from Nigeria’s Dangote refinery, Reuters reported on Monday, citing sources familiar with the matter. Vitol is said to have purchased the 320,000-barrel cargo from Geneva-based Mocoh Oil and sold most of it to […]
The state-of-the-art $20 billion refinery was launched in January 2024, but only began producing gasoline in September, expected to reach full operations in November. The giant refinery has a capacity to process 650,000 barrels of crude per day, more than enough for the country’s needs. To sweeten the deal further, the facility is buying crude and selling refined fuels in Nigeria in the local currency, saving the country’s much-needed foreign exchange, especially the US dollar.
The company made this known in reaction to a claim by the marketers that the refinery’s prices are higher than other suppliers, making it difficult for independent marketers to buy from it.
Dangote Refinery in the Federal Republic of Nigeria, has denied receiving any payments for the purchase of refined petroleum products from the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN)
Nigeria, often referred to as the “Giant of Africa,” is a country rich in natural resources, particularly in crude
oil. Yet, for decades, Nigerians, including this writer, have watched as their nation has struggled with refining
its crude, depending on costly imports to meet its domestic fuel needs. In a country with one of the largest oil
reserves in the world, it is ironic that fuel scarcity and high pump prices have become the norm. Enter the
Dangote Refinery, an ambitious mega-project that promises to change the game for Nigeria’s energy sector
and the economy at large.