Dangote Refinery makes Nigeria first time net petrol exporter

Dangote Refinery made Nigeria a net petrol exporter in March 2026. The Dangote Petroleum Refinery & Petrochemicals exported 44,000 barrels per day of petrol, outpacing domestic imports and producing a surplus of roughly 3,000 barrels per day. It is the first time in Nigeria's history that Africa's largest oil producer has crossed into net exporter territory on refined fuel.

Nigeria's petrol imports collapsed, with March imports at 41,000 barrels per day, the lowest level ever recorded according to Kpler. The Dangote Refinery shipped a 317,000-barrel petrol cargo to Mozambique in March, its first delivery to East Africa. Dangote credited the policy environment under President Bola Tinubu's administration for creating the conditions that made large-scale domestic refining viable, including reforms that restored investor confidence in the energy sector. The refinery received about 565,000 barrels per day of crude in March, the second-highest intake since it began operations in late 2023.

A follow-up cargo is scheduled to arrive in Beira in April, reflecting growing appetite from East African buyers who are moving away from Middle East supply amid ongoing geopolitical disruptions.