Dangote refinery has increased its supply of petrol and fertiliser to African countries impacted by disruptions linked to the Iran war.
This was disclosed by the Chairman of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, on Monday during a tour of the Dangote Petroleum Refinery located on the outskirts of Lagos.
He revealed that the refinery has already shipped about 17 cargoes of gasoline to other African countries, while exports of urea fertiliser have also risen in recent days as buyers seek alternative sources of supply.
What Dangote is saying
Dangote said the refinery is ramping up supply across the continent to cushion the impact of global disruptions, leveraging its status as Africa’s largest refinery with a capacity of 650,000 barrels per day.
- “What I can do is assure Nigerians … and most of West Africa, Central Africa, and East Africa, we have the capacity to supply them,” he said.
He added that the refinery, which also has the capacity to produce up to 3 million metric tonnes of urea annually, most of which is typically exported to the United States and South America, is now redirecting more shipments within Africa.
- “In the last couple of days, we’ve been looking to mostly African countries, which we were not doing before,” he said.
Get up to speed
The development comes amid disruptions in global oil supply following military actions involving the United States and Israel against Iran, which have affected key energy routes.
- A major flashpoint is the Strait of Hormuz, a critical passage through which about 20 per cent of the world’s oil supply flows.
- In addition, retaliatory strikes targeting energy infrastructure in the Middle East have heightened supply concerns, pushing crude oil prices as high as $120 per barrel before easing to around $110.
The ripple effects are being felt in Nigeria and across Africa. A recent Reuters report noted that South African farmers are facing rising diesel costs ahead of the harvest season, while in Nigeria, Nairametrics recently reported that food prices have surged in Lagos alongside a spike in petrol prices in March 2026.
What you should know
Despite already operating at full capacity, the Dangote refinery is pursuing further expansion to strengthen supply capabilities.
- Last week, the African Export-Import Bank announced it had underwritten $2.5 billion in a $4 billion senior syndicated term loan for the refinery.
- In February, the group also signed a $400 million agreement with XCMG Construction Machinery Co., Ltd. to support expansion efforts.
The refinery is expected to scale up from 650,000 barrels per day to 1.4 million barrels per day, a move that could make it the largest refinery globally upon completion. The expansion will also increase polypropylene production capacity from 900,000 metric tonnes per annum to 2.4 million metric tonnes per annum.
