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Nigeria’s $20bn Dangote refinery boosts supplies abroad amid regional shortfalls
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Saudi Aramco, Kuwait, and others reduce output, driving demand for imports
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Dangote targets 700,000 barrels per day capacity by December despite challenges
The Dangote Petroleum Refinery has stepped up fuel exports to foreign markets as Middle East Gulf refineries, including Saudi Aramco’s plants, undergo major maintenance shutdowns that have tightened regional supplies.
A senior official at the $20bn Lagos-based refinery confirmed that Premium Motor Spirit, aviation fuel, and diesel shipments were dispatched abroad in August. “We export PMS, AGO (diesel), and Jet A1 (aviation fuel),” the source said, noting that demand has surged as refinery output in the Gulf fell sharply.
Industry reports show that Saudi Arabia has already shut down two refineries and is preparing for more closures, while Kuwait and India are also reducing production, forcing Gulf nations to turn to external suppliers.
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Gasoline imports into the region hit a seven-month high in July, climbing to 1.03 million tonnes, with Saudi imports rising more than threefold in a single month.
The disruption has created fresh opportunities for the Dangote refinery, which in recent months supplied two long-range cargoes to the Gulf region.
Earlier in February, Group President Aliko Dangote disclosed: “We are reaching the ambitious goals we set for ourselves, and I’m pleased to announce that we’ve just sold two cargoes of jet fuel to Saudi Aramco.”
Despite reports of operational strains, the refinery insists it is scaling up output and plans to raise capacity to 700,000 barrels per day by December.
Industry analysts say the closures across Aramco’s Jubail, Riyadh, Jizan, and Yanbu facilities, alongside Kuwait’s Mina Abdullah refinery, have created a supply gap that Nigeria’s giant plant is moving quickly to fill.
In July, Dangote confirmed that Nigeria had become a net exporter of refined products, revealing that one million tonnes of petrol had been shipped abroad within 50 days.
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“Today, Nigeria has actually become a net exporter of refined products,” he said, emphasising the plant’s growing role in stabilising fuel markets beyond Africa.
The combination of Gulf refinery shutdowns, Indian output cuts, and sanctions disrupting traditional supply routes has further strengthened Dangote’s export momentum.
With global premiums for gasoline and aviation fuel rising, industry observers believe the Lekki refinery is well-positioned to consolidate its status as a major player in global energy trade.
