Nigeria’s long struggle with fuel scarcity and queues has effectively ended, according to Aliko Dangote, President and Chief Executive of Dangote Petroleum Refinery.
Speaking at an event marking the refinery’s first year of petrol production, Dangote said the $20 billion facility has resolved a crisis that has persisted since the 1970s.
“We have been battling fuel queues since 1975, but today Nigerians are witnessing a new era,” he said.
The 650,000 barrels-per-day refinery, which began supplying petrol on September 3, 2024, has already reshaped Nigeria’s downstream market. Petrol prices, which hovered near N1,100 per litre before production began, now average N841 in Lagos, Abuja, Rivers, Delta, Edo, and Kwara. Dangote expressed confidence that nationwide relief will follow with the rollout of compressed natural gas (CNG) trucks.
Despite skepticism from experts and officials who warned that such projects were only feasible for sovereign states, Dangote pressed ahead, risking all his assets. “If it had gone wrong, lenders would have taken everything. But we believed in Nigeria and Africa,” he said.
The refinery has also strengthened Nigeria’s foreign exchange position, exporting over 1.1 billion litres of Premium Motor Spirit between June and early September 2025. Dangote stressed that the plant has enough capacity to meet domestic demand and establish Nigeria as a net exporter of refined products.
Job creation remains a central part of the refinery’s impact. The deployment of 4,000 CNG-powered trucks is expected to generate at least 24,000 jobs. Workers, including drivers, mechanics, and fleet managers, will receive pay well above the national minimum wage, alongside pensions, health insurance, and other benefits.
Dangote also urged lawmakers to protect local industries from foreign competition, warning against Nigeria’s overreliance on imports. “Relying on imports means exporting jobs and importing poverty. Industrialisation is the only path to sustainable growth,” he said, citing the collapse of Nigeria’s textile industry as a cautionary tale.
He concluded by reaffirming his broader vision: “Other nations did not industrialise through outsiders. We must build our own economies.
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Refinery has transformed Nigeria’s Fuel Supply in 12 Months-Dangote
Share Nigeria’s long struggle with fuel scarcity and queues has effectively ended, according to Aliko Dangote, President and Chief Executive of Dangote Petroleum Refinery. Speaking at an event marking the refinery’s first year of petrol production, Dangote said the $20 billion facility has resolved a crisis that has persisted since the 1970s. “We have been…
