Nigeria’s Dangote Petroleum Refinery on Sunday rejected claims by fuel marketers that it is unable to meet domestic fuel demand, saying it has sufficient supply to serve the local market and still export surplus volumes.
The refinery’s statement followed remarks by its founder, Aliko Dangote, who alleged that certain influential groups, including major marketers and traders, are actively undermining the $20 billion project.
In response, Olufemi Adewole, Executive Secretary of the Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers Association of Nigeria (DAPPMAN), said marketers were merely seeking to protect their investments by continuing to import fuel.
Adewole dismissed Dangote’s claim of a downstream “cabal,” but acknowledged the existence of vested interests among depot operators, noting that they had invested billions of naira to ensure a steady fuel supply nationwide.
Despite the refinery’s stated capacity of 650,000 barrels per day, Adewole said it has yet to satisfy even reduced domestic consumption levels. He argued that private depot owners continue to bear the primary responsibility for fuel distribution across the country.
“Referring to the authority’s (NMDPRA) chief executive’s recent briefing at the Villa, he confirmed that the Dangote refinery is not meeting even the reduced local consumption volume,” Adewole said. “So, for now, it is the private depot owners who are bridging the supply gap.”
A senior Dangote Refinery official countered the marketers’ position, insisting the facility produces and dispatches millions of litres of fuel daily and continues to export after fulfilling domestic requirements.
The official also alleged that Nigeria’s fuel consumption figures have been historically manipulated to benefit various interests, particularly under the fuel subsidy regime, and expressed optimism that accurate data would eventually be released.
“I’ve seen reports suggesting our refinery can’t meet local demand. That’s false. We produce more than enough for Nigeria and still export,” the official said.
