The Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited increased crude oil deliveries to the Dangote Petroleum Refinery in March, a move expected to improve fuel availability across Nigeria and parts of Africa.
President and Chief Executive of Dangote Industries Limited, Aliko Dangote, disclosed this on Tuesday while receiving United Nations Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed at the company’s industrial complex in Ibeju-Lekki, Lagos.
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Dangote praised the NNPC for boosting crude supply to the refinery during the month.
According to Dangote, the refinery received 10 cargoes of crude oil in March, including:
• Six cargoes supplied in naira
• Four cargoes supplied in dollars
“Last month, they gave us six cargoes for naira and four cargoes for dollars,” Dangote said.
Despite the increase, Dangote noted that the refinery needs about 19 cargoes of crude oil monthly to operate at full capacity.
Because of the shortfall, the refinery has continued to import crude from the United States and other African producers.
Dangote also expressed concern that international oil companies operating in Nigeria prefer selling crude to foreign traders instead of the local refinery.
According to him, this forces the refinery to buy the same crude at higher prices through intermediaries, which could negatively affect the economy.
Dangote said the refinery is seeking greater access to domestically priced crude supplied in local currency.
He explained that such arrangements could help reduce fuel costs and strengthen energy security across Nigeria and Africa.
During the visit, UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed highlighted the importance of Dangote Industries’ projects, particularly Dangote Fertiliser Limited, in tackling Africa’s food security challenges.
She noted that the United Nations would support initiatives that can help address food shortages across the continent.
“I think the UN’s job here is to amplify and to put visibility on the possibilities of mitigating a food security crisis,” she said.
Dangote also revealed that the company has increased exports of fertiliser and petrol to several African countries affected by supply disruptions.
He said the refinery has already shipped about 17 cargoes of petrol to African markets, leveraging its 650,000 barrels-per-day refining capacity.
Dangote assured that the facility has the capacity to supply fuel to Nigeria and several African regions, including West Africa, Central Africa, and East Africa.
