President of the Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, has raised fresh concerns over tightening fuel availability, revealing that soaring demand has nearly wiped out key refined products from his refinery’s stock.
Speaking in an interview with Al Jazeera, Dangote said, “The demand is so high, I can tell you for nothing. Today, we have almost sold out our jet fuel. We have almost sold out our gas oil. What we have is just the gasoline (petrol), which is the PMS; we call it Premium Motor Spirit. That’s the only one that we have in excess.”
His comments come amid rising global demand pressures and ongoing supply disruptions, with the 650,000 barrels-per-day Dangote Refinery increasingly positioned as a critical supplier not just for Nigeria, but for parts of Africa and beyond.
Despite the strain, a senior official within the Dangote Group insisted the refinery would continue to prioritise domestic supply if crude availability improves.
“No! We will not starve Nigeria, as long as they keep giving us crude,” the official said.
The concern, however, lies in crude supply constraints. The refinery has repeatedly flagged shortfalls in feedstock under its supply arrangements, receiving significantly less than its required monthly volumes.
Confirming ongoing discussions, the official added, “Yes, we are talking with them. If we have to import the crude, we will have to export the products.”
That position underscores a growing tension between domestic supply expectations and commercial realities, especially as the refinery increasingly turns to international markets for crude purchases.
Further insight from the refinery’s Chief Executive Officer, David Bird, points to deeper structural issues. Speaking recently, he said, “What we see under that agreement, we should be getting about 13 to 15 cargoes a month… Currently, we’re only getting five. So, that’s an underperformance against that pre-agreed volume contract.”
The supply gap has forced the refinery to source crude externally, often at higher costs, even as demand for its products continues to surge across multiple regions.