Dangote Refinery to pump 1.5 billion litres of petrol monthly

Dangote Petroleum Refinery plans to flood the local market with petrol over the festive period, promising supplies it says should wipe out fears of fuel queues.

The company will release 1.5 billion litres of Premium Motor Spirit, or petrol, into the Nigerian market in December 2025 and another 1.5 billion litres in January 2026, Chairman Aliko Dangote said. That works out to about 50 million litres a day starting Dec. 1.

“In line with our commitment to national well-being, and our track record of ensuring a holiday season free of fuel scarcity, the refinery will supply 1.5 billion litres of PMS to the Nigerian market this month,” Dangote said, adding that output would rise to 1.7 billion litres in February, or roughly 60 million litres a day.

Speaking during a visit by the South-South Development Commission to the refinery and the Dangote Fertiliser complex, he said the plant already holds sufficient stock and is producing between 40 million and 45 million litres of petrol daily. Daily deliveries of 50 million litres, he argued, should put to rest long-running doubts that Nigerian refineries cannot meet domestic demand.

He said the company is in talks with marketers to strengthen distribution, including expanding the use of compressed natural gas–powered trucks to move products across the country.

“Our priority is to ensure Nigeria receives the products it needs,” Dangote said. “This is not driven by profit motives; it is about guaranteeing availability of essential energy products. It is similar to the transformation we delivered in the cement sector.”

Dangote also said the refinery is pushing ahead with an expansion plan that would take capacity to 1.4 million barrels per day. More than 100,000 workers are expected to be involved across the refinery and fertiliser projects, he said, framing the complex as a pillar of Nigeria’s industrial and economic strategy.

South-South Development Commission managing director Usoro Offiong Akpabio praised Dangote’s investments, describing the South-South as Nigeria’s “natural energy corridor” and calling for deeper collaboration on product distribution, CNG infrastructure, petrochemicals, agriculture and jobs.

In a separate letter to the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, refinery managing director David Bird invited officials to verify and publish daily supply volumes from Dec. 1 and urged support to clear delays in vessel approvals, crude imports and product loadings that he said add avoidable costs and disruptions.