Dangote Refinery Denies Importing Finished Fuel, Describes Allegations as False and Misleading

Dangote Refinery Denies Importing Finished Fuel, Describes Allegations as False and Misleading

Lagos, Nigeria — Dangote Petroleum Refinery & Petrochemicals (DPRP) has strongly refuted claims that it imports finished petroleum products into Nigeria, describing the reports as false, misleading and based on a fundamental misunderstanding of global refinery operations.

The refinery, Africa’s largest single-train petroleum processing facility, clarified that it refines crude oil and processes intermediate feedstocks into fully finished, market-ready petroleum products that meet the highest international environmental and quality standards.

Speaking during a media briefing at the Lekki-based refinery, the Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, David Bird, explained that the processing of intermediate or semi-processed materials is a standard global refining practice and does not amount to importing finished fuel.

According to Bird, Dangote Petroleum Refinery operates on a European and Asian merchant refinery model, which integrates advanced refining, blending and trading systems to produce premium fuels that comply with global benchmarks.

“Dangote Petroleum Refinery produces high-quality fuels aligned with international environmental and health standards. Our gasoline is lead-free and MMT-free with sulphur content of 50 parts per million, while our diesel meets ultra-low sulphur specifications,” Bird said.

He added that these standards significantly reduce harmful emissions, protect vehicle engines and improve public health outcomes.

Bird stressed that only fully refined, market-ready products are supplied to the Nigerian market, noting that intermediate materials are unsuitable for vehicle use and are never released for consumption. To reinforce this point, samples of both intermediate feedstocks and finished products were displayed to journalists during the briefing.

The CEO noted that the refinery was established to end Nigeria’s long exposure to substandard fuels, adding that DPRP’s products are now exported to international markets — a testament to their quality and competitiveness.

Intermediate materials such as naphtha, straight-run gas oil, vacuum gas oil (VGO), reformate, alkylate and isomerate, he explained, are globally recognised feedstocks used in further refining processes to produce finished fuels like petrol and diesel, as well as petrochemicals.

Bird reaffirmed the company’s commitment to transparency and regulatory compliance, urging the media to help educate the public on the clear distinction between intermediate feedstocks and finished petroleum products.

“It is unfortunate that some individuals are deliberately spreading misleading narratives about a refinery that has transformed Nigeria and the West African region from a dumping ground for substandard fuels into a hub for high-quality petroleum products,” he said.

He also highlighted the refinery’s flexible design, which allows it to process a wide range of crude oils and intermediate feedstocks efficiently.

Bird assured Nigerians of sustained product availability, noting that the refinery has played a significant role in easing fuel scarcity, stabilising the naira and reducing pressure on the country’s foreign exchange reserves.

Also speaking, the Group Chief Brand and Communications Officer of Dangote Industries Limited, Anthony Chiejina, urged journalists to be accurate and precise in their reporting, warning that misuse of technical terms could misinform the public and trigger unnecessary panic.