Dangote Refinery says it does not import refined petroleum products into Nigeria, insisting that petrol and other fuels sold from its operations are fully refined locally.

The clarification was made by the Chief Executive Officer of Dangote Refinery, David Bird, during a news conference on Wednesday in Lagos, amid allegations over fuel importation and local refining capacity.

Mr Bird explained that materials often mistaken for imported fuel were, in fact, intermediate feedstocks used to optimise refinery operations.

He said these include high-catalytic sulphur gasoline and straight-run naphtha, unfinished components that undergo extensive processing at the Lekki-based facility before becoming market-ready products.

“We do not import refined fuel. Everything sold as petrol, diesel or aviation fuel is refined here in Lekki to Nigerian and international Euro-V standards,” Mr Bird said.

According to him, the use of intermediate feedstocks is standard practice in complex and merchant refineries across major refining hubs such as the United States, the United Kingdom, Singapore and India.

Mr Bird noted that the Dangote refinery, unlike refineries located directly at the end of crude oil pipelines, operates as a merchant refinery, sourcing diverse crude and feedstock grades largely by sea.

He said this flexibility allows the refinery to maximise utilisation of its advanced conversion units and upgrade every molecule into high-value, clean fuels and petrochemicals.

Mr Bird accused some oil marketers and regulatory actors of undermining the nation’s local refining drive by importing cheaper, substandard fuels while declining to patronise domestically refined products.

He noted that such actions threaten the country’s energy security and foreign-exchange stability.

Mr Bird stated that the refinery currently supplies about 45 million litres of petrol daily to the domestic market and did not export petrol during the peak Christmas and New Year period.

He said exports only occur when there is excess supply or limited domestic uptake, particularly during the early operational phase.

Highlighting public health benefits, Mr Bird said local refining had significantly reduced sulphur and metal content in fuels now consumed in Nigeria, making them comparable to products used in Europe and North America.

Mr Bird described the Dangote refinery as one of the most modern and automated facilities globally, producing high-value “white products” such as petrol, diesel, aviation fuel and polypropylene.

Reaffirming the company’s long-term vision, Mr Bird said the refinery remained committed to meeting domestic demand first while positioning Nigeria as a hub for clean, world-class fuels in Africa.

He said, “West Africa should no longer be a dumping ground for inferior products. Nigeria deserves and now produces the best.”
(NAN)