Dangote Refinery refutes claims on petrol export, re-importation

Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals has strongly refuted circulating claims alleging that its refined petroleum products are exported to Lomé, Togo, and subsequently re-imported into Nigeria. The company dismissed these allegations as "deliberate misinformation" not supported by verifiable trade data, commercial logic, or the operational realities of the refinery.

A core objective of the Dangote Refinery is to bolster Nigeria's domestic supply of petroleum products. The company asserts that any practice enabling imports to directly compete with its own production would fundamentally undermine this mission. To prevent such scenarios, all sales contracts and tender agreements explicitly prohibit the resale or re-importation of Dangote Refinery products into Nigeria.

The refinery management further detailed the economic impracticality of the alleged trade route. Transporting products from the refinery to Lomé and back to Nigeria incurs estimated logistics costs of $82–90 per metric ton. These additional expenses would significantly erode profit margins, rendering the transaction commercially unviable. The company stated that it does not offer export discounts substantial enough to offset these costs or create arbitrage opportunities between export and domestic markets.

Dangote Refinery also highlighted its robust product traceability systems, which include detailed records of lifting points, nominated vessels, counterparties, and declared destinations. These measures ensure complete visibility and accountability throughout the supply chain. The company reiterated that any suggestion of facilitating or tolerating re-importation is inconsistent with its contractual safeguards and established compliance standards, emphasizing its commitment to reducing Nigeria's dependence on imported petroleum products.