Petrol: Dangote floods market with 50 million litres daily to avert Yuletide fuel crisis

Petrol: Dangote floods market with 50 million litres daily to avert Yuletide fuel crisis

 

The Dangote Petroleum Refinery has announced an unprecedented push of 50 million litres of petrol per day into the Nigerian market beginning Monday, December 1, in a move to prevent fuel shortage during the high-demand festive season.

This translates to 1.5 billion litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) for December alone, with another 1.5 billion litres planned for January 2026, according to Aliko Dangote, President and Chief Executive of Dangote Industries Limited.

Speaking during a courtesy visit by the South-South Development Commission (SSDC) to the refinery and the Dangote Fertiliser complex, Dangote said the facility already holds sufficient stock and is currently producing between 40 and 45 million litres daily.

“In line with our commitment to national well-being, and consistent with our track record of ensuring a holiday season free of fuel scarcity, the Dangote Refinery will supply 1.5 billion litres of PMS this month—50 million litres per day,” he said.

He added that the refinery was boosting its January supply to the same volume, with plans to increase output to 1.75 billion litres in February, which represents over 60 million litres per day.

Dangote said the 50-million-litre daily supply should finally lay to rest doubts over the ability of domestic refineries to meet Nigeria’s fuel needs. He also disclosed ongoing discussions with petroleum marketers to strengthen distribution capacity, including the deployment of CNG-powered trucks to cut logistics costs and emissions.

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

In a related development, the refinery’s Chief Executive Officer, David Bird, formally invited the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) to independently verify the refinery’s daily production and supply figures.

“We request your support to host NMDPRA officials onsite from December 1 to validate and publicly confirm our daily supply volumes. For full transparency, we are prepared to publish our daily production and stock figures across online and print media,” Bird said.

Dangote also revealed that expansion plans are underway to ramp up the refinery’s capacity to 1.4 million barrels per day, a project expected to engage more than 100,000 workers across both the refinery and fertiliser complex.

Managing Director of SSDC, Usoro Offiong Akpabio, praised Dangote for his sustained investment in Nigeria’s industrialisation, describing the refinery’s effort as a major catalyst for national energy security and long-term economic competitiveness.