Dangote’s fuel exports overtake domestic supply, hit 54.63 million litres daily

In September 2026, the Dangote Petroleum Refinery's fuel exports surged past domestic supply, reaching 54.63 million litres daily, surpassing the refinery's combined domestic receipts of petrol, diesel, and aviation fuel for the month. The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority's (NMDPRA) September 2026 Fact Sheet revealed a 37.33% month-on-month increase in exports, which grew from 39.78 million litres per day in August to 54.63 million litres per day, while domestic receipts dropped by 22.08% to 39.98 million litres per day from 51.31 million litres per day.

This reversal in the month's dynamics marked the first time exports exceeded domestic receipts since the previous August, when domestic receipts outpaced exports by 11.53 million litres per day. Despite increased output, the refinery's utilization rate of 105.98% was fueled by crude inventory, with an estimated 689,000 barrels per day of crude processed against 618,000 barrels received.

The refinery's shift was evident in its diverse product line: aviation fuel exports contributed 87.44% to the overall evacuation, while the gap between domestic receipts and exports narrowed from 29.76 million litres in August to just 5.26 million litres in September. The decline in domestic receipts mirrored a decline in national petrol and diesel receipts, which fell by 40% month-over-month to 8.7 million litres per day for diesel, the lowest level in 13 months, due to low imports and domestic evacuation driven by high prices.

The refinery's output outpaced national demand, with Dangote alone exporting 9.73 million litres of petrol daily in September, yet national stocks remained short of the 30-day regulatory benchmark.