United States EIA: Dangote Refinery Driving 7-fold Surge in Nigeria’s Petroleum Exports
• Seaborne shipments hit 561,000bpd in Q2 2026 •Exports jump from 46,000bpd in 2023 to 350,000bpd • Shipments to Europe rose from 15,000bpd to 130,000bpd in Q2 •Imports plunge from
Nigeria's seaborne petroleum product exports have surged more than seven-fold since 2023, according to the United States Energy Information Administration (EIA). The expansion and commissioning of the Dangote Petroleum Refinery have played a significant role in this change, the EIA reported. In the second quarter of 2026, Nigeria shipped 561,000 barrels per day (bpd) of petroleum products, compared to only 79,000 bpd in 2023.
Of these exports, 350,000 bpd went to international markets, up from 46,000 bpd in 2023. The sharp increase in exports is attributed to the Dangote refinery's operations starting in January 2024, which boosted the availability of refined petroleum products in the Nigerian market. As a result, imports fell, making Nigeria more self-sufficient in refined petroleum products.
The Dangote refinery's crude distillation capacity expanded from 650,000 bpd to 700,000 bpd after maintenance and expansion work concluded in February 2026. Meanwhile, Nigeria's seaborne imports of petroleum products plummeted from nearly 400,000 bpd in 2023 to less than 130,000 bpd in Q2 2026, a reduction of over 270,000 bpd or 67.5 percent.
Intra-Nigerian shipments of petroleum products also saw a substantial rise, averaging 211,000 bpd in Q2 2026, up from 81,000 bpd in 2025 and just 33,000 bpd in 2023. This 160,000 bpd increase represents a 485 percent rise from 2023 levels. The EIA noted that Nigeria's refined products are now being shipped to other parts of the country, reducing the nation's dependence on imports.
Additionally, Europe has become a significant destination for Nigeria's refined exports, with shipments to the region averaging 130,000 bpd in Q2 2026, up from 40,000 bpd in 2025 and only 15,000 bpd in 2023, a 767 percent increase. This shift in Nigeria's role from a major crude oil exporter and importer of refined products to a supplier of refined fuels to regional and international markets underscores the growing importance of its refining capacity.
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