Dangote Refinery Fuels 7-Fold Surge in Nigeria's Exports

According to the United States Energy Information Administration (EIA), Nigeria's seaborne petroleum product exports have increased more than seven-fold since 2023, largely due to the commissioning and expansion of the Dangote Petroleum Refinery. In the second quarter of 2026, Nigeria's average petroleum product shipments reached 561,000 barrels per day (bpd), compared to just 79,000 bpd in 2023.

Of this, 350,000 bpd was exported internationally, a significant rise from 46,000 bpd in 2023. The Dangote refinery commenced operations in January 2024, enhancing the availability of refined products and reducing imports.

By Q2 2026, seaborne imports fell to less than 130,000 bpd from nearly 400,000 bpd in 2023. Intra-Nigerian shipments also rose to an average of 211,000 bpd in Q2 2026, up from 33,000 bpd in 2023.

The refinery's crude distillation capacity increased from 650,000 bpd to 700,000 bpd after maintenance and expansion in February 2026.