Dangote Refinery plans to cease crude oil imports by December 2025, relying entirely on Nigerian crude, according to a Bloomberg report. The move aims to replace hundreds of thousands of barrels daily.
The 650,000-barrel-a-day facility in Lagos, managed by Vice President Devakumar Edwin, sourced 53% of its June crude from local producers, with the rest from the United States. Edwin stated that expiring foreign supply contracts will enable a full transition to local crude by year-end.
Despite a naira-for-crude deal, the refinery has relied heavily on imports from countries like Brazil, Angola, Ghana, and Equatorial Guinea. Challenges such as crude theft, pipeline attacks, and foreign supply obligations have limited local availability.
Currently processing 550,000 barrels daily, the refinery expects increased local crude supply in coming months. It is scheduled to receive five million-barrel cargoes from the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited in July and August.
Aliko Dangote’s $20 billion refinery aims to make Nigeria a net exporter of petroleum products. By ending crude imports, the facility seeks to reduce reliance on costly refined fuel imports from Europe.
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