The Chief Executive Officer of Dangote Petroleum Refinery, David Bird, has clarified that the company does not import finished petrol, diesel, or aviation fuel. Instead, it sources unfinished feedstocks and processes them at its Lekki facility.
Speaking during a stakeholders’ engagement, Bird addressed claims that the refinery brings in ready-to-use fuel. He described the assertion as a misunderstanding of how modern merchant refineries operate globally.
“We are a refinery. We have no interest in importing finished products,” he said. “Rather, we import intermediate feedstocks that are globally traded and convert them into petrol, diesel, or jet fuel.”
Importing Intermediates, Not Finished Fuels
Bird explained that the refinery purchases cracked gasoline components, light cycle oil, high-sulphur reformate, and other intermediate streams from international markets. In their imported state, these materials cannot go directly to retail stations.
If marketers were to supply them without further treatment, they would fall short of required standards. Therefore, engineers at the Lekki complex upgrade the streams through hydrocrackers, residue fluid catalytic cracking (RFCC) units, and alkylation units. The plant then converts and blends them into fully compliant fuels that meet regulatory specifications.
Utilisation, Capacity, and Export Quality
The $20 billion refinery maintains high utilisation rates to protect operational efficiency and safeguard returns. In capital-intensive industries, idle capacity quickly erodes profitability and weakens margins.
Currently, the facility produces Euro V petrol and diesel with sulphur content capped at 50 parts per million (ppm). Moreover, it can deliver 10 ppm fuels once Nigeria updates its national fuel specifications.
To underscore product quality, Bird pointed to the refinery’s export record. For example, gasoline shipments have reached New York Harbour, while jet fuel supplies have entered the Dubai market—both destinations known for strict compliance benchmarks.
“If our products do not meet specification, those markets will not accept them,” he stated.
Overall, the clarification comes amid ongoing debate about the refinery’s sourcing structure and its expanding role in Nigeria’s downstream petroleum market.
