KEY POINTS
- Nigeria’s refined petroleum exports rose to 350,000 barrels per day in Q2 2026, from 46,000 bpd in 2023.
- Seaborne fuel imports fell below 130,000 bpd, down from nearly 400,000 bpd in 2023.
- Dangote Refinery is driving higher domestic supply and growing exports to Europe and other African markets.
Nigeria’s petroleum products trade is undergoing a major shift, with the country exporting significantly more refined products while sharply reducing its dependence on imported fuel.
New data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) shows that Nigeria exported an average of 350,000 barrels of petroleum products per day in the second quarter of 2026.
This represents a dramatic increase from the annual average of just 46,000 barrels per day recorded in 2023.
At the same time, Nigeria’s seaborne imports of petroleum products fell below 130,000 barrels per day in the second quarter, compared with almost 400,000 barrels per day three years earlier.
The figures highlight the growing impact of the Dangote Petroleum Refinery, which began operations in 2024 and has increasingly supplied both the Nigerian market and international customers.
For decades, Nigeria was one of Africa’s leading crude oil producers but remained heavily dependent on imported petrol, diesel and other refined petroleum products because its domestic refining capacity was inadequate.
The Dangote refinery has begun to change that pattern by processing locally available crude and producing large volumes of refined products for domestic consumption and export.
Before the refinery started production, Nigeria’s existing state-owned refineries collectively shipped less than 100,000 barrels of petroleum products per day by sea, including both domestic and international shipments.
Exports to Europe Rise Sharply
Nigeria’s growing refining capacity is also opening up new international markets.
Petroleum product exports to Europe averaged 130,000 barrels per day in the second quarter of 2026. That was almost nine times the 15,000 barrels per day recorded in 2023.
The increase reflects Nigeria’s emerging role as a supplier of refined petroleum products to international markets, particularly as the Dangote refinery expands its production and distribution network.
Nigeria is also strengthening its position as a refined fuel supplier within Africa.
During the second quarter, the country exported nearly 120,000 barrels of petroleum products per day to other African countries. This was an increase from the 89,000 barrels per day recorded in 2025.
The development could further strengthen Nigeria’s influence in Africa’s energy market, particularly among countries that continue to rely on imported refined fuels to meet domestic demand.
