The Dangote Petroleum Refinery says it is moving beyond domestic supply to build infrastructure that will serve fuel markets across Africa, as rising production creates surplus volumes for export.
Speaking at the refinery on Wednesday, Chief Executive Officer David Bird explained that the facility’s growing output of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) has made it necessary to develop strategic storage and pipeline networks to deliver fuel reliably to African countries, especially those with limited refining capacity.
Bird disclosed that the refinery currently supplies about 45 million litres of PMS daily to Nigeria, reflecting a period of planned maintenance that constrained production.
With key units, including the catalytic cracker, now restarting, output is expected to rise significantly.
“Through the first half of February, we ramp up to our full nameplate capacity of 650,000 barrels per day. That’s when you’ll start to see additional production of up to 75 million litres as a sustainable target for daily PMS output,” Bird said.
He noted uncertainty around Nigeria’s true fuel consumption levels, with estimates ranging from 35 million to 50 million litres daily. Regardless of the figure, he stressed that the refinery’s mandate is to meet local demand while preparing to export excess volumes.
Export Strategy and Infrastructure
To achieve this, Dangote Refinery is investing in physical infrastructure across key African corridors. Bird revealed that a tank farm in Walvis Bay, Namibia, has already been developed in collaboration with the Namibian government. From there, fuel will be moved inland through pipeline networks.
The proposed infrastructure targets south-western sub-Saharan Africa, with pipelines envisioned to run into Zambia and potentially extend to Zimbabwe, Botswana, and neighbouring countries.
Bird said this would help stabilize supply in landlocked markets that currently rely heavily on road transport.
Similar discussions are ongoing in Central and West Africa. Bird noted that Cameroon, which no longer operates a refinery but retains legacy infrastructure, presents an opportunity to leverage existing pipeline rights-of-way to supply inland markets and neighbouring states.
Ghana and other coastal countries are also being considered as part of the regional supply strategy.
Bird emphasized that the refinery’s long-term plan is to move beyond spot sales and establish structural surplus exports once Nigeria’s true demand levels are clearer.
“Coastal tank farms feeding inland pipelines will help alleviate dependence on truck deliveries, especially where road infrastructure is weak. Over time, this will allow us to take more control of our destiny in regional fuel supply,” he said.
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