The Dangote Petroleum Refinery received ten shipments of crude in March from the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC), according to Aliko Dangote, the owner of the facility and Africa’s wealthiest individual.
This marks a significant rise in crude deliveries to Africa’s largest refinery, as Nigeria intensifies efforts to increase domestic gasoline production amid ongoing disruptions in the Middle East that continue to affect global energy markets.
Aliko Dangote confirmed the higher supply levels, noting that the refinery experienced a temporary boost in feedstock availability at what is currently the world’s largest single-train refining complex.
The development suggests that the plant is moving closer to operating at a capacity that better aligns with Nigeria’s fuel consumption needs, as the March shipments approached the volume identified by David Bird, the refinery’s CEO, as necessary to achieve full operational efficiency.
Earlier in March, David Bird pointed out that inefficiencies in the naira-for-crude arrangement were limiting profitability.
He indicated that the refinery ideally required 13 to 15 crude shipments monthly to satisfy national demand.
“Under that arrangement, we should be receiving 13 to 15 cargoes each month. That is the volume needed to meet Nigeria’s domestic fuel requirements. At present, we’re only receiving about five, which falls short of the pre-agreed target,” Bird explained.
Even with the March increase, supply levels remain well below the target, often averaging just five shipments outside of this temporary surge.
This gap highlights the importance of consistent crude allocations if the refinery is to fully support Nigeria’s downstream sector transformation.
Despite the uptick in March, uncertainty persists regarding the reliability of crude deliveries to the plant.
Previous reports indicate that the NNPC plans to increase shipments from five to seven cargoes for May loading, signaling a gradual adjustment in supply.