Nigeria Has Enough Crude to Meet Domestic Fuel Needs, Dangote Says, Urging Full Enforcement of Petroleum Laws to Stop Imports, and Support Local Refining

Aliko Dangote, President and CEO of Dangote Industries Limited, has criticized the crude supply practices of international oil companies, calling the situation “unsustainable for a country intent on genuine industrial growth.” Speaking during a visit by the South-South Development Commission (SSDC) to the Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Fertiliser Complex in Lagos, he emphasized that Africa’s economic future depends on value addition rather than perpetual raw material export.

Dangote highlighted loopholes in the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) that allow operators to divert Nigerian crude to trading subsidiaries abroad, particularly in Switzerland, forcing domestic refineries to buy back crude at a premium of $4–5 per barrel. He urged the Federal Government to enforce royalties and taxes based on actual crude prices to prevent revenue losses and protect local refiners.

Pointing to the paradox of exports and imports, Dangote said, “It is shameful that while we exported 1.5 million tonnes of gasoline in June and July, imported products were flooding the country. That is dumping.” Data from the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) shows the refinery supplied only 17.08 million litres of the 56.74 million litres consumed in October 2025. Dangote warned that if regulators continue to permit product dumping, the refinery will prioritize exports.

He pledged that the refinery would supply 50 million litres of petrol daily during the Yuletide period, targeting 1.5 billion litres in both December 2025 and January 2026, signaling a strong commitment to meeting domestic demand.