Dangote Petroleum Refinery has strongly denied allegations that petroleum products refined at its Lagos facility are being exported to neighbouring countries and subsequently re-imported into Nigeria, describing the claims as baseless, economically illogical and contrary to its business objectives.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, the refinery said it was compelled to address what it described as a growing web of falsehoods despite its longstanding policy of not responding to unverified allegations.
The company maintained that reports suggesting refined products are shipped from the Dangote Refinery to Lomé, Togo, before being re-imported into Nigeria lack factual and commercial basis. According to the refinery, such a practice would directly contradict its core objective of strengthening its position as a leading supplier of petroleum products to the Nigerian market.
“A key objective of Dangote Refinery is to maintain and strengthen its position as a leading supplier of petroleum products to the Nigerian market,” the statement said, adding that facilitating imports that compete with its own production would be inconsistent with that goal.
The refinery also argued that the economics of the alleged arrangement do not support such a trade pattern. It estimated that the logistics cost of transporting products from its facility to Lomé and then back into Nigeria would amount to approximately $82 to $90 per metric ton, making the transaction commercially unattractive.
“These additional costs would significantly erode margins and make such transactions commercially unattractive,” the refinery stated. It further noted that it does not offer export discounts large enough to offset those costs or create arbitrage opportunities between export and domestic markets.
Dangote Refinery stressed that there is no commercial incentive for a producer to incur extra shipping, storage, financing and handling costs only for products to return and compete in its largest market.
Addressing concerns about transparency, the company said it maintains detailed records of all product sales, including lifting locations, nominated vessels, counterparties and destination declarations where applicable. It added that suggestions that it knowingly facilitates re-importation are inconsistent with contractual restrictions imposed on buyers and the refinery’s compliance procedures.
The company further pointed to its long-standing public position advocating reduced dependence on imported petroleum products, arguing that any action encouraging re-importation would undermine local refining, place pressure on foreign exchange reserves and weaken Nigeria’s industrial development efforts.
“Dangote Refinery has consistently advocated for eliminating Nigeria’s dependence on imported petroleum products,” the statement said. “There is neither a strategic rationale nor a commercial incentive for Dangote Refinery to facilitate exports to neighbouring markets for subsequent re-importation into Nigeria.”
The clarification comes amid ongoing discussions within Nigeria’s downstream petroleum sector over fuel supply chains, import dependence and the role of the multi-billion-dollar refinery in reshaping the country’s energy landscape. Since commencing operations, the refinery has positioned itself as a key player in efforts to boost domestic refining capacity and reduce reliance on imported petroleum products.
Reaffirming its position, the management insisted that the allegations are unsupported by trade economics, contractual arrangements, product traceability mechanisms and the refinery’s established commitment to strengthening domestic refining.
The company concluded that the claims remain inconsistent with both commercial realities and its publicly stated mission of enhancing Nigeria’s energy security and reducing dependence on imported fuel.
