Aliko Dangote, President of the Dangote Group, has revealed that his 650,000 barrels-per-day refinery is increasingly depending on crude oil imports from the United States due to persistent shortages of domestic supply. The development coincides with projections that the Dangote Petroleum Refinery will import about 17.65 million barrels of crude between April and July 2025, starting with 3.65 million barrels already received.
Dangote disclosed this during a visit by the Technical Committee of the One-Stop Shop (OSS) for the naira-for-crude initiative. He commended the initiative for easing pressure on the dollar, reducing fuel prices, and supporting naira stability but stressed that inadequate local crude supply had forced the refinery to look abroad, particularly to the U.S.
Vessel-tracking data from Bloomberg shows that U.S. crude, especially the WTI Midland grade, now accounts for about a third of the refinery’s feedstock. Between April 6 and May 28, 2025, 21 oil vessels delivered over 3.65 million barrels of crude to the refinery via the Lekki Deep Seaport. The facility expects to receive an additional 9 million barrels in June and 5 million barrels in July, mostly sourced from the U.S.
Despite efforts by the Federal Government to revive the naira-for-crude agreement with domestic refiners, Dangote’s refinery has imported around 27.1 million barrels of crude from the U.S. over seven months—more than half of its total supply—compared to 46.2 million barrels received locally.
According to Energy in Africa, the refinery prefers U.S. crude due to its consistent quality, reliable supply chain, and price competitiveness. Light sweet crude such as WTI is ideal for producing high-value fuels and offers better yields compared to Nigerian grades, which often face disruptions and higher costs.
Oil market experts have raised concerns over Nigeria’s production challenges and the implications of foreign exchange being used for crude imports, despite the ongoing naira-for-crude policy. The refinery, however, maintains that the deal has contributed to reduced fuel prices and pledged to keep pump prices stable.
Group Chief Branding and Communications Officer, Anthony Chiejina, reaffirmed the company’s support for the Nigerian economy, crediting President Bola Tinubu for enabling the price reductions through the crude-for-naira arrangement.
Meanwhile, the Coordinator of the OSS Technical Committee, Mrs. Maureen Ogbonna, hailed the refinery as a transformative $20 billion investment and symbol of industrial rebirth. She praised Dangote’s vision and urged him to stay focused despite criticism, calling the project a milestone for national development.
The refinery, built with extensive infrastructure including a world-class marine facility, is designed to process a wide variety of crude—African, Middle Eastern, and U.S. grades—and can meet 100% of Nigeria’s domestic demand for petrol, diesel, kerosene, and jet fuel, with surplus for export.
ADEOLA KUNLE
