Aviation jet fuel from the Dangote Refinery now supplies about two-thirds of Nigeria’s market, significantly reducing the country’s reliance on imports, a recent report from Energy Intelligence reveals.
According to Energy Intelligence, a U.S.-based oil and gas trends tracker, the 650,000 barrels per day (bpd) refinery has not only slashed Nigeria’s aviation fuel imports but also lowered prices by $2 to $3 per metric ton.
“We’re already buying from Dangote [now]. It’s slightly cheaper or at least the same price as imports,” said Foluso Sobanjo, Managing Director of Asharami Synergy, in an interview with Energy Intelligence.
The refinery’s jet fuel output now supplies at least 66% of Nigeria’s aviation fuel market and nearly half of the total consumption across West Africa, according to the report.
Sharp Decline in Imports
The report highlights a dramatic fall in Nigeria’s jet fuel imports—from 13,000 barrels per day (bpd) in 2023, when imports fully met local demand, to just 5,000 bpd in 2024. This trend is attributed to the increasing dominance of Dangote Refinery in the market.
Moreover, the impact extends beyond Nigeria, with the report noting a decrease in regional jet fuel imports. In West Africa, external imports have dropped from 34,500 bpd in 2023 to 17,900 bpd in 2024. Loading data shows Dangote’s jet fuel being shipped to Benin, Senegal, Togo, The Gambia, and Gabon.
Ministerial Endorsement
Nigeria’s Minister of Aviation, Festus Keyamo, confirmed that airline operators are now sourcing jet fuel exclusively from Dangote Refinery. He expressed support for this shift, citing its potential to increase demand for Dangote’s products and further reduce Nigeria’s reliance on imported aviation fuel.
Aliko Dangote, CEO of Dangote Refinery, has consistently underscored his ambition to reduce energy imports, which place significant pressure on Nigeria’s foreign exchange reserves. Projections indicate that Dangote Refinery could cut the country’s foreign exchange demand by at least 40% once it begins supplying petrol to the local market.
Keyamo also pointed to the government’s crude-for-naira deal with Dangote as a measure to ease price pressures. “The price will no longer be subjected to the varying factors of the international market, nor the headwinds of oil price in the international market. It will be in local currency, so we can be clear as to the cost of it. We will buy in naira. I’m sure we are going to have access to cheaper Jet A1 fuel,” Keyamo remarked in an interview.
Growing Exports and Domestic Sales
Since Dangote Refinery began exporting in March, it has shipped 1.1 million tons (35,000 bpd) of jet fuel, according to tanker tracking data from Kpler. Of this total, 290,000 tons went to Europe, 315,000 tons to South America, with the remainder largely distributed across West Africa.
Exports have slowed since September due to a rise in domestic sales, with an additional 94,000 tons of Dangote jet fuel shipped to Nigerian ports, primarily Lagos, since April.
The refinery’s management previously indicated that approximately 75% of its jet fuel output would be transported by sea, with the rest distributed inland via road tankers.
Recent reports reaffirm that Dangote jet fuel now accounts for 66% of Nigeria’s total supply, further cementing its influence in West Africa’s aviation fuel market.