The Dangote Petroleum Refinery has started exporting refined petroleum products to neighboring West African countries. This marks a significant milestone for the mega-refinery and could bring substantial changes to the regional fuel market.
According to a report by Bloomberg, citing data from Vortexa, Kpler, Precise Intelligence, and ship-tracking platforms, the refinery recently shipped over 300,000 barrels of gasoline to waters off Togo. A tanker named CL Jane Austen carried the shipment, signaling the refinery’s readiness to supply markets beyond Nigeria.
This development aligns with earlier statements made by Mustapha Abdul-Hamid, Chairman of Ghana’s National Petroleum Authority. He emphasized Ghana’s interest in sourcing fuel from the Dangote Refinery to reduce reliance on European imports, which cost the country about $400 million monthly.
At the OTL Africa Downstream Oil Conference in Lagos, Abdul-Hamid stated that importing from Nigeria could lower prices for goods and services by cutting freight costs.
“If the refinery reaches 650,000 barrels per day capacity, all that volume cannot be consumed by Nigeria alone,” he said.
Negotiations are also underway with other African nations, including Angola, Namibia, and South Africa. Talks with countries like Niger, Chad, Burkina Faso, and the Central African Republic are reportedly in their early stages.
Although it is unclear where the latest shipment will ultimately end up, the CL Jane Austen is currently stationed off the coast of Lomé, Togo—a hub for ship-to-ship fuel transfers. Experts suggest this could indicate plans for broader distribution across the region.
The refinery had previously sent its first seaborne gasoline cargo to Lagos and may further expand its export operations. However, whether Nigeria will export large volumes of gasoline remains uncertain, especially since the government has maintained fuel importation from Europe and the U.S. under current regulations.
