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Africa’s Losing $90bn Annually to Imported Substandard Fuel, Dangote Laments
Africa has become a destination for cheap, often toxic petroleum products, often blended to substandard levels that would not be permitted in Europe or North America.
This concern was raised by the President/Chief Executive, Dangote Industries Limited, Aliko Dangote, at the ongoing West African Refined Fuel Conference held in Abuja.
The event is the brainchild of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) and S&P Global Commodity Insights.
According to Dangote due to the continent’s limited domestic refining capacity, Africa imports over 120 million tonnes of refined petroleum products annually, at a cost of approximately $90 billion.
While appreciating the Management of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), for making some cargoes of Nigerian crude available to us from start of production to date, he revealed that the company, monthly import between 9-10 million barrels of crude from the United States of America and other countries.
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He said, “As we speak today, we buy 9 – 10 million barrels of crude monthly from US and other countries. I must thank NNPC for making some cargoes of Nigerian crude available to us from start of production to date.”
Dangote further stated that despite producing around 7 million barrels of crude oil per day, Africa only refines about 40% of its 4.3 million barrels daily consumption of refined products domestically. In stark contrast, Europe and Asia refine over 95% of what they consume.
“So, while we produce plenty of crude, we still import over 120 million tonnes of refined petroleum products each year, effectively exporting jobs and importing poverty into our continent. That’s a $90 billion market opportunity being captured by regions with surplus refining capacity. To put this in perspective: only about 15% of African countries have a GDP greater than $90 billion. We are effectively handing over an entire continent’s economic potential to others—year after year,” he said.
While reaffirming his belief in the power of free markets and international cooperation, Dangote emphasised that trade must be grounded in economic efficiency and comparative advantage — not at the expense of quality or safety standards.
He stressed that, “it defies logic and economic sense for Africa to be exporting raw crude only to re-import refined products—products we are more than capable of producing ourselves, closer to both source and consumption.”
Reflecting on the experience of delivering the world’s largest single-train refinery, Dangote also highlighted a range of challenges faced, including technical, commercial, and contextual hurdles unique to the African landscape.
Africa’s wealthiest man described building refineries such as the Dangote Petroleum Refinery as one of the most capital-intensive and logistically complex industrial facilities ever constructed. The Dangote refinery project, he said, required clearing 2,735 hectares of land (seven times the size of Victoria Island), of which 70% was swampy, requiring the pumping of 65 million cubic metres of sand to stabilise the site and raise it by 1.5 metres, over 250,000 foundation piles, and millions of metres of piping, cabling, and electrical wiring among others.
“At peak, we had over 67,000 people on-site of which 50,000 are Nigerians, coordinating around the clock across hundreds of disciplines and nationalities. Then, of course, came the COVID-19 pandemic which set us back by two years and brought new levels of complexity, disruption, and risk. But we persevered,” he noted.
The refinery also required the construction of a dedicated seaport, as existing Nigerian ports could not handle the size and volume of equipment required. This included over 2,500 pieces of heavy equipment, 330 cranes, and even the establishment of the world’s largest granite quarry, with a production capacity of 10 million tonnes per year.
“In short, we didn’t just build a refinery—we built an entire industrial ecosystem from scratch,” he said.
Despite the refinery’s technical success, Dangote identified significant commercial challenges, particularly exchange rates which have gone from N156/$ at inception to N1,600/$ at completion, and challenges around crude oil sourcing. Although Nigeria is said to produce about 2 million barrels per day, the refinery has struggled to secure crude at competitive terms.
“Rather than buying crude oil directly from Nigerian producers at competitive terms, we found ourselves having to negotiate with international trading companies, who were buying Nigerian crude and reselling it to us—with hefty premiums, of course.
Logistics and regulatory bottlenecks have also taken a toll. Port and regulatory charges reportedly account for 40% of total freight costs, sometimes costing two-thirds as much as chartering the vessel itself.
“Refiners in India, who purchase crude oil from regions even farther away, enjoy lower freight costs than we do right here in West Africa because they are not saddled with exorbitant port charges,” Dangote said.
He added that, in terms of port charges, it is currently more expensive to load a domestic cargo of petroleum products from the Dangote Refinery, as customers pay both at the point of loading and at the point of discharge. In contrast, when they load from Lomé, which competes with them, they pay only at the point of discharge.
Dangote further criticised the lack of harmonised fuel standards across African nations, which creates artificial barriers for regional trade in refined products.
“The fuel we produce for Nigeria cannot be sold in Cameroon or Ghana or Togo, even though we all drive the same vehicles. This lack of harmonisation benefits no one—except, of course, international traders, who thrive on arbitrage. For local refiners like us, it fragments the market and imposes unnecessary inefficiencies.”
Dangote, stating the challenge with diesel production in Africa, noted, “to give one example, the diesel cloud point for Nigeria is 4 degrees. Without going into the technical details, this means that the diesel should work at a temperature of 4 degrees centigrade. Achieving this comes at a cost to us and limits the types of crude we could process. But how many places in Nigeria experience temperatures of 4 degrees? Other African countries have a more reasonable range of 7 to 12 degrees. This is a low hanging fruit which could be addressed by the regulators.”
He also cited the growing influx of discounted, low-quality fuel originating from Russia — blended with Russian crude under price caps and dumped in African markets.
“And to make matters worse, we are now facing increasing dumping of cheap, often toxic, petroleum products—some of which are blended to substandard levels that would never be allowed in Europe or North America,” he said.
Dangote called on African governments to follow the example of the United States, Canada, and the European Union, which have implemented protective measures for domestic refiners.
The management of Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals (DPRP) has expressed concern over the continued issuance of petroleum product import licences despite the refinery’s proven capacity to meet and exceed Nigeria’s domestic Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) requirements.
The refinery noted that while it remains fully committed to supporting Nigeria’s energy security and ensuring uninterrupted fuel availability across the country, the volume of imported PMS entering the market has created uncertainty in domestic demand planning and inventory management.
According to market data available to the refinery, imported PMS accounted for approximately 43 percent of the fuel supplied into the Nigerian market in July, a development that raises questions about the necessity of continued large-scale imports when substantial local refining capacity exists.
Since commencing operations, Dangote Refinery has consistently maintained sufficient inventory levels and reserved product volumes to guarantee steady supply to the Nigerian market. This commitment has required significant investment in storage, logistics, and working capital, all aimed at protecting Nigerians from supply disruptions and market volatility.
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However, the refinery stated that the absence of transparency regarding the actual volume of imported products expected into the country makes effective production and inventory planning increasingly challenging. Maintaining large stock positions without clear visibility into import volumes imposes substantial carrying costs on the refinery and ultimately undermines efficient market operations.
“As a responsible energy provider, we have always endeavoured to keep adequate reserves to satisfy local demand at all times. However, in an environment where significant volumes of imported PMS continue to enter the market through licences issued by the regulator, and where there is limited visibility on future import volumes, it becomes commercially unsustainable to continue holding excess inventory indefinitely.”
The refinery explained that, under these circumstances, any surplus products not immediately absorbed by the domestic market must be exported to regional and international markets. Consequently, DPRP’s export volumes have increased in recent months, not because local demand cannot be met, but because excess inventory generated by market uncertainty must be evacuated to avoid unnecessary storage and financing costs.
Dangote Refinery emphasised that its growing exports should not be interpreted as a lack of commitment to the Nigerian market. Rather, exports are a prudent operational response to the realities of a market where imported products continue to compete with locally refined fuel despite the availability of sufficient domestic refining capacity.
The company reiterated that it remains ready, willing, and able to meet and surpass Nigeria’s petroleum product requirements and continues to invest heavily in ensuring reliable supply across the country.
The refinery further stated that should any supply shortfalls arise as a result of market distortions created by excessive importation and the inability of local producers to accurately forecast domestic demand, such shortages should not be attributed to Dangote Refinery, which has consistently demonstrated its capacity and commitment to serving the Nigerian market.
DPRP therefore called for greater transparency, improved market coordination, and policies that support local refining, enhance energy security, conserve foreign exchange, and maximize the economic benefits of Nigeria’s investments in domestic refining capacity.
Savannah Energy PLC, has released its operational and financial update on its Nigerian operations and other markets in Africa for the seven months to 31 July 2026, including up-to-date cash collections in its Nigerian business.
The update shows that its group daily gross production averaged 16.3 Kboepd for 7M 2026, compared to 18.8 Kboepd during the same period in FY 2025. With its Uquo 13 now on stream, it expects its average gross daily production to exceed 20 Kboepd over the remaining five months of the year, with FY 2026 average gross daily production anticipated to be in the range of 18-20 Kboepd, including further upside potential from the Uquo South exploration well.
The company reported that following the completion of the SIPEC Acquisition in March 2025, the production expansion programme underway at Stubb Creek has delivered a 29% year-on-year increase in average gross daily production to 3.7 Kbopd for 7M 2026 (7M 2025: 2.8 Kbopd). Average production in July 2026 was in excess of 5.0 Kbopd.
The report also shows that its cash collections in Nigeria increased by 13% year-on-year to US$247.9 million during the 7-month period, compared to US$219.2 million during the same period in FY 2025.
According to the report, Savannah’s Revenue increased by 10% year-on-year to US$160.6 million, compared to US$146.0 million during the first seven months of 2025. As at 31 July 2026, its cash balances totalled US$62.0 million (it was US$42.7 million as at 31 December 2025), and net debt stood at US$672.0 million (31 December 2025: US$658.8 million). Its Trade Receivables balance as at 31 July 2026 was US$394.6 million, a 22% reduction on year-end 2025 (31 December 2025) of US$508.5 million.
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Savannah also provided new updates on its Uquo 13, formerly known as Uquo NE and Uquo South exploration well. It reports that drilling and completion activities at the Uquo 13 well location have been concluded. The well which was tied back to the Uquo Central Processing Facility (“CPF”), achieved first gas in July and is on stream, after having successfully been tested at approximately 50 MMscfd.
The Uquo South exploration well spudded in early August 2026 and is currently being completed. Gas has been confirmed in most of the targeted reservoirs through pressure measurements, fluid sampling and logging. The Uquo South discovery is expected to be fully evaluated following completion of the well and the planned testing programme.
On Niger, Savannah reported that it continues to engage with the country’s Government in relation to the R1234 PSC and the forward work programme. These discussions, it said, are aimed at resolving disputed issues arising under this contract and notably cover the contractual and operational framework for recommencing activity, including the treatment of periods during which operations have been materially constrained. It said it continues to reserve its rights under the R1234 PSC and is seeking to agree a mutually acceptable basis with the Government for future operations, and that work will only recommence on these assets if, and when, the Company reaches such a satisfactory agreement with the Government.
The report also provides updates on ongoing arbitration in Chad where its wholly owned subsidiaries, SCI and SMIL, commenced arbitral proceedings in 2023 against the Government of the Republic of Chad. It would be recalled that SCI had sued the Chadian Government in response to the March 2023 nationalisation of SCI’s rights in the Doba fields in Chad, and other breaches of SCI’s rights. SMIL had also commenced arbitral proceedings in 2023 in relation to the nationalisation of its investment in TOTCo, the Chadian company which owns and operates the section of the Chad-Cameroon pipeline located in Chad. SMIL had also commenced arbitral and other legal proceedings for breaches of SMIL’s rights in relation to COTCo, the Cameroon company which owns and operates the section of the Chad-Cameroon pipeline located in Cameroon. Savannah said it expects these arbitral proceedings to be concluded in H2 2026.
SCI is also involved in further arbitral proceedings in which designates of Société des Hydrocarbures du Tchad allege breaches by SCI of the Doba fields joint operating agreement. SCI is defending the claims vigorously. Savannah expects these arbitral proceedings to be concluded in H1 2027.
Andrew Knott, CEO of Savannah Energy, said: “2025 was a year of execution for Savannah with good progress delivered across the nine focus areas we set out at the start of the year. In Nigeria, we increased our rate of cash collections year-on-year by 12%, a trend which we hope to continue into 2026, and have made significant progress in refinancing our debt facilities.
In our Hydrocarbons Division, the completion of the SIPEC acquisition in March enabled us to commence an expansion programme at Stubb Creek, increasing 2025 production materially above 2024 levels. At Uquo we delivered the new compression system under budget and advanced site construction ahead of the planned commencement of drilling of the new Uquo NE well. During the year, we also announced a 21% 2P Reserves upgrade at the Uquo gas field and a 29% upgrade to Stubb Creek oil field 2P Reserves. In Niger, we remain actively engaged with the Government on future activity, with the R3 East development plan significantly enhanced during the year.
“In the power sector, we repositioned our business model and advanced both operating and development opportunities, including the proposed acquisition of interests in three East African hydropower projects, which is targeted for completion in H1 this year. We have also continued to progress on our wind, solar and hydro portfolio. Alongside this, we continue to pursue further value-accretive acquisitions across both hydrocarbons and power, with several other opportunities under active discussion.
“We also continued to progress our arbitration claims, with the Savannah Chad Inc (“SCI”) and Savannah Midstream Investment Limited (“SMIL”) proceedings currently expected to be concluded in the first half of 2026.
“Overall, this progress provides a strong platform for continued delivery in 2026.”
There are allegations that secret drilling of crude oil has begun in some Ogoni communities, even as talks between the Federal Government and representatives of the people on the planned resumption of oil exploration in the area remain inconclusive.
Though the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP), in a statement released in Port Harcourt on Sunday by the Secretary-General of MOSOP, Stephen Nmane, insist that the citizens have embraced the idea of oil resumption because of the integrity of its leaders involved in the talks.
According to MOSOP reports of alleged compromise and alleged corruption are worrisome.
Also, MOSOP said it wanted the names of 40 Ogoni youths employed by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd) published for the sake of transparency, alleging that names of foreigners were smuggled onto the list.
Nmane specifically said oil drilling had been noticed in Ogoni communities in Tai and Eleme local government areas without the knowledge of the people, saying MOSOP condemned any forced re-entry into Ogoni, describing it as a betrayal of the spirit of the dialogue process.
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The statement was titled ‘Alarming Compromise of The Ogoni Oil Production Resumption Process: The Reported Massive Corruption of Leaders of The ODC’.
“It is appalling as it is disappointing that while dialogue between Abuja and Ogoni is ongoing, preliminary oil production is operationalised in parts of Ogoni by the Federal Government without the consent and social licence of the Ogoni community.
“In Ban-Ogoi and Alesa-Eleme areas, oil drilling with its attendant health and environmental toxicity is ongoing.
“To us, this is in bad faith as it betrayed the godly spirit of the dialogue.
“Therefore, we cannot but condemn this forced re-entry through the back door. Thus, we demand immediate halt of the operations and the needful done,” the statement read.
It added, “The Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People, MOSOP, is alarmed at a damning report circulating in Ogoni and across social media platforms, alleging massive economic corruption of some key leaders of the Ogoni oil resumption dialogue process.
“This is most concerning as it is at the expense of our people. Since the allegations impugn the credibility and trustworthiness of these facilitators, the Ogoni Dialogue Committee (ODC) and its leadership, MOSOP would urge the body to publicly clear its name of the weighty allegations.
“It equally warned of dire consequences as Ogoni will not sit idly by while accrued benefits to the community are illicitly cornered by a greedy, heartless few pretending to work for our common good.
“Notwithstanding acknowledged doubtful integrity of some of these leaders, our people had embraced the process in the hope that envisaged opportunities offered would create enduring succour.
“The feeling that the hope would not materialise owing to corruption, occasioning anger and tension, is understandable. Hence, we call on the people to remain calm and law-abiding while efforts are made to address the issues.
“Saddeningly, information available to MOSOP indicates that some bigwigs of the Ogoni Dialogue Committee had been compromised to facilitate the re-entry. In fact, Ogoni youths who had protested at the operational bases reported that engineers at these sites told them to approach an ODC chieftain instead.
“Furthermore, the report also implicated the ODC facilitators in other shoddy deals. It revealed their involvement in another multi-million-dollar oil pipeline contract to be executed across Ogoni oil fields preparatory to oil resumption proper.”
It warned the Federal Government and investors interested in investing in Ogoni to be wary of predators.
“We would further counsel against hasty agreement with anyone or group without appropriate due diligence, as such will not be binding on us.
“We wish to make it categorically clear that all entered agreements on behalf of Ogoni are shoddy, unacceptable, and null and void,” the statement added.
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