The Dangote Petroleum Refinery has assured Nigerians that it has enough Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), commonly known as petrol, to fully meet the country’s fuel demands. According to Aliko Dangote, President of Dangote Industries Limited, the refinery currently holds over half a billion litres of petroleum in storage, valued at more than ₦600 billion.
Speaking over the weekend, Dangote emphasized that the refinery’s production capacity includes sufficient petrol, diesel, and kerosene to cater to Nigeria’s energy needs.
“As we speak right now we have more than half a billion litres. The Refinery is producing enough refined products, like gasoline, diesel, and kerosene, to meet 100 per cent of Nigeria’s requirements,” he stated.
A Refinery for the Entire Continent
During a visit from a Zambian government delegation, led by Minister of Energy Mr. Makozo Chikote, Dangote highlighted that the refinery’s impact extends beyond Nigeria and aligns with the goals of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
“This refinery is not only for Nigeria; it is for Africa. We must sustain the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) deal. We are trying to see how we trade with other African countries,” he said.
Chikote, along with a team of energy experts, visited the refinery to explore potential partnerships between Zambia and Dangote Industries. The minister praised the scale and ambition of the refinery, recognizing its potential role in Africa’s energy sector.
Zambia Eyes Partnership with Dangote
Following a tour of the refinery complex in the Free Trade Zone at Ibeju-Lekki, Lagos—including key facilities like the Single Point Mooring system, Dangote Jetty, Africa’s largest fertilizer plant, and the 650,000 barrels-per-day single-train refinery—Chikote expressed excitement about the visit.
The presentation by Dangote Industries’ Vice President for Oil and Gas, Edwin Devakumar, deeply resonated with Zambia’s energy challenges.
“In Zambia, we created an environment for the private sector to participate in the growth and development of our country. Currently, 100 per cent of our petroleum is done by the private sector.
“We are targeting increased productivity in mining, agriculture, and other sectors. Your presentation is an immediate solution to our energy needs. We are trying to promote competition among our private players.
“We are looking at Dangote coming on board, which would lead to efficient, reliable, quality, and competitive products, and we want these done like yesterday,” he said.
Chikote also emphasized the importance of strengthening intra-African trade.
“From what we have seen, we need to promote trade within Africa to promote each other. We need these countries together to make Africa efficient and a reliable trade hub.
“We have seen here that we can learn from what Dangote has done, and this would lead Africa and Africans to stand on their feet and not depend on overseas support in terms of trade. I believe going forward that people have learned a few lessons. The one lesson I have learned from this visit is that Dangote looks at the bigger picture for Africa.”
Private Sector’s Role in Africa’s Development
Samuel Maimbo, Vice President for Budget, Performance Review, and Strategic Planning at the World Bank Group—and a candidate for the presidency of the African Development Bank (AfDB)—stressed that Africa cannot depend solely on development aid or government funding.
“There is also not enough government funding to develop Africa. The only way we can finance Africa’s growth at a pace and scale that solves our problem is by working through the private sector, which is why we are here today, to learn and to see what an ambitious programme looks like,” Maimbo said.
He added that the private sector must play a leading role in Africa’s development.
Dangote Refinery’s Massive Production Capacity
Edwin Devakumar, Vice President of Dangote Industries Limited, outlined the refinery’s cutting-edge production capabilities and its commitment to producing high-quality fuel products.
“The project concept was to process the crude from Nigeria and add value. But we also wanted to provide some flexibility to process most of the African crudes and some of the Middle Eastern crudes,” he explained.
He further elaborated on the refinery’s approach to maximizing crude oil value.
“In another concept, what we did was maximum value extraction. That is a process where every barrel of crude which goes in, the value addition should be the best.”
According to Devakumar, the refinery’s output significantly exceeds Nigeria’s domestic fuel demand.
“The Refinery can meet all our requirements. Forty-four per cent can meet the entire requirements of Nigeria, and 56 per cent of the production would be exported. Every day, we produce lighter products of 104 million litres; 57 million litres of petrol every day; 20 million litres of jet fuel; and 27 million litres of diesel production.
“The local consumption is just around 46 million litres, and the remaining 58 million litres will be exported daily,” he added.
With its large-scale production capabilities and focus on intra-African trade, the Dangote Petroleum Refinery is set to play a crucial role in addressing the continent’s energy challenges.
