• Dangote Petroleum Refinery has reached its fully installed 650,000 barrels per day capacity, with petrol supply rising to 75 million litres daily
• The refinery’s output positions Nigeria to meet 100% of domestic fuel demand, potentially eliminating its multi-billion-dollar petroleum import bill and strengthening foreign exchange stability
• As one of the world’s largest single-train refineries, the facility positions Nigeria as a potential net exporter of refined products to West Africa amid tightening global refining capacity

Harare - Africa’s largest crude oil producer, Dangote Petroleum has reached its fully installed production capacity of 650,000 barrels per day (bpd), marking a historic milestone that could fundamentally alter the country’s energy and trade dynamics.

The Lagos-based refinery, located in the Lekki Free Zone, is now operating at nameplate capacity following successful maintenance and optimisation works on its Crude Distillation Unit (CDU) and Motor Spirit production block.

The achievement places the facility among the largest single-train refineries in the world, highlighting both its engineering scale and strategic ambition.

Chief Executive David Bird confirmed that the refinery is now positioned to supply up to 75 million litres of petrol daily to the domestic market  a significant jump from the 45 to 50 million litres delivered during the 2025 festive period.

The increase follows a comprehensive 72-hour performance validation programme conducted in partnership with UOP, a Honeywell company and the refinery’s technology licensor.

The validation tests assessed operational stability, efficiency benchmarks, safety compliance and product quality standards  key indicators of whether the plant can consistently sustain peak throughput.

Critical gasoline-producing units were tested, including the naphtha hydrotreater, isomerisation unit and reformer unit, which collectively form the backbone of the refinery’s petrol production capability. According to management, all essential parameters met international standards.

Phase Two performance test runs for the remaining processing units are scheduled to begin shortly, suggesting that further optimisation of product streams and yields may still be ahead.

For decades, Nigeria has embodied one of the most persistent contradictions in global energy markets. Despite being Africa’s largest crude oil producer, the country relied heavily on imported refined petroleum products due to the chronic underperformance of its four state-owned refineries in Port Harcourt, Warri and Kaduna.

Those ageing facilities, with a combined installed capacity of 445,000 bpd, have operated far below capacity for years, generating a multi-billion-dollar annual fuel import bill and exerting sustained pressure on foreign exchange reserves.

This structural inefficiency left Africa’s top oil producer dependent on external markets for its most basic energy needs.

The Dangote Refinery was conceived to address precisely this imbalance. With capacity to meet 100% of Nigeria’s domestic demand for petrol, diesel and aviation fuel, the facility is also positioned to generate surplus volumes for export into West African and broader international markets.

The refinery’s operational milestone comes at a pivotal time for Nigeria’s economy, particularly following the removal of fuel subsidies and ongoing foreign exchange reforms.

Local refining enhances energy security, conserves foreign currency reserves, improves trade balances and supports industrialisation through backward and forward linkages in logistics, shipping, storage and petrochemicals.

The project, which began construction in 2016, weathered pandemic-related delays, foreign exchange constraints and complex technical challenges before reaching full-scale production. It has since generated thousands of direct and indirect jobs while stimulating activity across maritime services and industrial supply chains.

Regionally, the refinery strengthens Nigeria’s strategic influence within West Africa’s energy ecosystem. Many neighbouring countries depend on imported fuel from Europe and other markets. A stable mega-refinery within the region creates scope for intra-African petroleum trade, aligning with the ambitions of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

The refinery has at times struggled to secure adequate crude supplies from domestic producers, compelling it to import feedstock to maintain operations. Ensuring reliable and competitively priced crude allocations will be critical to sustaining high utilisation rates.

Globally, the refinery’s emergence is significant at a time when refining capacity is under pressure from energy transition policies and shifting demand patterns. Large-scale greenfield refineries have become increasingly rare due to capital intensity and environmental considerations.

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