KEY POINTS
- Dangote refinery processed 736,470 barrels per day in August.
- Nigerian petrol imports fell 26% to 14.6 million litres daily.
- Diesel imports dropped from 7.9 million to 1.3 million litres daily.
Dangote Petroleum Refinery increased its crude processing significantly in August 2026, strengthening domestic fuel supply and reducing Nigeria’s reliance on imported petroleum products.
The 700,000-barrels-per-day refinery recorded average capacity utilisation of 105.21% in August, according to data from the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority.
The facility processed an average of 736,470 barrels of crude oil per day during the month, up sharply from 497,000 barrels per day in July, when utilisation stood at 71%.
The increase followed a 16.75% rise in domestic crude deliveries to the refinery, which reached 683,000 barrels per day in August.
Higher crude throughput translated into average daily production of 84.43 million litres of refined petroleum products, including Premium Motor Spirit, diesel and aviation fuel.
The stronger refinery performance also increased the volume of petrol supplied to the Nigerian market.
Dangote refinery’s domestic PMS deliveries rose 39% month-on-month to 35.87 million litres per day in August. The volume represented about 71% of total domestic petrol supply during the month.
At the same time, Nigeria’s PMS imports fell 26% to 14.60 million litres per day.
The figures point to a growing role for domestic refining in meeting the country’s fuel needs and reducing dependence on imported petrol.
Diesel imports drop sharply
The refinery’s impact was also evident in the diesel market. Domestic Automotive Gas Oil deliveries from the facility averaged 12.37 million litres per day in August. National diesel imports subsequently fell from 7.90 million litres per day in July to 1.30 million litres per day in August.
The reduction in imported diesel could provide greater local supply for sectors that depend heavily on the product, including transportation, manufacturing, agriculture, telecommunications and power generation. Dangote refinery also supplied significant volumes of refined products to international markets during the month.
It exported an average of 9.73 million litres of PMS per day in August, alongside 8.75 million litres of diesel and 21.30 million litres of aviation fuel.
The export volumes strengthen Nigeria’s position in the regional refined petroleum products market while creating an additional source of foreign exchange earnings.
Dangote Group said the refinery’s performance supports Nigeria’s energy security, foreign exchange conservation and broader industrialisation goals. The refinery milestone comes as Dangote Industries Limited expands its industrial investment plans across Africa.
Speaking in Nairobi, Kenya, Dangote Industries President Aliko Dangote said the group planned to invest an additional $50 billion across the continent after committing more than $25 billion to existing businesses.
He made the disclosure ahead of the groundbreaking of the Dangote East Africa Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals project in Lamu, Kenya.
Dangote said the group’s strategy was to build large-scale businesses and increase African ownership of industries that drive economic development.
He also said the ongoing public offer for Dangote Petroleum Refinery was aimed at broadening ownership rather than raising emergency funding. The group plans to eventually take its operating businesses to the capital market.
