Dangote refinery turns Nigeria into a net petrol exporter

Nigeria became a net exporter of petrol in March 2026 as output from the 650,000-barrel-a-day Dangote refinery displaced imports and created a surplus for regional markets.

Shipping data reported about 44,000 barrels a day of petrol exports during the month. The milestone followed the refinery's earlier production of diesel and jet fuel and its first petrol output in September 2024.

A shift in the trade balance

For years Nigeria exported crude and paid to import refined products, exposing public finances and pump prices to freight costs, foreign-exchange shortages and global refining margins. Domestic processing changes that equation, though it does not eliminate exposure to the dollar price of crude.

The durability of net exports will depend on refinery utilisation, domestic demand, crude supply and maintenance. One month of trade data is therefore a milestone rather than proof that petrol imports have ended permanently.

Sources

S&P Global, Nigeria supply-and-demand analysis; Business Insider Africa and WION reporting on March 2026 shipping data; IMF staff report on the refinery's production ramp-up.