Dangote pledges end to fuel queues, confirms 50 million litres daily supply

…we will supply 20 million litres more than Nigeria needs by February 2026

…projects 1.4 million barrels per day by 2028 and 12 million tonnes of fertilizer

Ahead of the 2025 Yuletide season, Aliko Dangote has assured Nigerians of regular supply of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), insisting that the Dangote Refinery can supply 50 million litres daily.

He added that he plans to make the Dangote Refinery the biggest in the world, with a projected production capacity of 1.4 million barrels per day, surpassing Reliance’s current capacity of 1.2 million barrels per day.

Briefing State House correspondents after meeting with President Bola Tinubu on Friday in Abuja, Dangote said he is determined to end Nigeria’s recurring fuel crisis, which has plagued the country since 1982.

“If you look at it, in Nigeria we have been having fuel queues since 1972, and we have actually removed those queues. It’s not about relying on imports,” he said.

Read also: Nigeria’s Dangote picks Honeywell to help fulfill ambitious capacity expansion

Dangote, who is the President of the Dangote Group, revealed that “for the first time, we are suppliers to Europe and the US. Today, we have written to NMDPRA, the midstream regulator, and confirmed that we can supply 50 million litres every day. And you know there won’t be queues at all because, even now, while we are servicing the refineries, there are no queues. So, the issue of fuel queues is history. It will never, ever happen again, by the grace of God.”

He also assured that the company’s supply chain now covers the West African sub-region.

“Even our neighbouring countries won’t have queues because they can buy from us—officially. By February, we’ll be able to supply about 15 to 20 million litres more than Nigeria’s consumption. So we will still have to export.

“People in sectors like plastics, who used to import with about $350 to $400 million, will now be fully served locally. We will take that burden away.”

Speaking on future expansion plans, Dangote said: “By 2028, we are going to make this refinery the largest in the world. We are going to beat Reliance. Reliance is 1.25 million barrels per day; we will be at 1.4 million barrels per day. We have already signed the necessary agreements, and we will begin piling for the expansion by January. It will be delivered on time.”

On fertilizer, he stated: “We want to use our fertilizer company here in Nigeria to supply the entire African continent. We are going to have urea production of about 12 million tonnes. That will make us the largest producer, bigger than Russia and Qatar. We are doing quite a lot to make Nigeria and Africa a gateway for investment.”

Dangote said local prices must come down to compete with imports, adding that smuggling remains a challenge.

“Smuggling has reduced, though not totally. There’s still quite a lot of smuggling because the price in Nigeria is about 55% of what our neighbouring countries pay. No matter how you police the borders, people will still smuggle because there’s so much money to be made. They are selling at almost ₦1,500 or ₦1,600 per litre, while we are selling at about ₦800.”

He stressed that petroleum products, diesel and PMS, will continue to be sold at reasonable prices.

“We are not here to recover our $20 billion investment quickly. It’s a long-term project. The legacy I want to leave is that whatever Nigeria needs, we will be part of delivering it, whether in power or other sectors.”

He disclosed that the company will unveil its corporate vision next week, adding that it is exploring new areas of investment.

“For example, Nigeria has a lot of solid minerals, but the challenge is the ports. Which port will you use? Apapa is full. Tin Can Island is full. Lekki is handling only containers.”

He revealed that the company is investing in opening the largest deep seaport in West Africa, located in Olokola.

“Olokola will be the biggest port, and we will deliver it within the next two and a half years,” he said.

Dangote also described the Naira-for-crude policy as one of the most significant moves by the Tinubu administration.

“It is a win-win initiative, and I must thank His Excellency, Mr President, for that ingenious idea. That is what we are implementing,” he said.

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