Nigeria’s Dangote Refinery Set to Operate At Full Capacity In 30 Days

Africa’s largest refinery, Dangote Oil Refinery, is on track to begin operating at full capacity within the next 30 days, according to the refinery’s head, Mr. Edwin Devakumar.

Located in Lagos and owned by Mr. Aliko Dangote, the refinery, with a capacity of 650,000 barrels per day, has been processing crude since January of the previous year. It has been producing diesel, naphtha, and jet fuel, and began processing petrol in September.

Despite facing challenges in securing sufficient crude supplies locally, the refinery has managed to operate at 85 percent capacity and is now poised to reach 100 percent within a month. The refinery’s operational targets are aimed at competing with European refiners, a goal that hinges on its ability to secure reliable crude supplies.

To address its supply issues, the refinery turned to imports last year after struggling to obtain enough crude domestically. It entered an agreement with the federal government to purchase crude in naira currency, but local procurement difficulties persisted. The refinery has requested 550,000 barrels per day of crude from Nigerian oil producers for the first half of 2025. To ensure local refineries are supplied, the country’s oil regulator has stated that it will block export permits for oil cargoes from producers who do not meet their supply quotas to local refineries.

With these measures in place, the Dangote Refinery is on the verge of achieving its full operational capacity, which would significantly strengthen Nigeria’s oil refining capabilities and reduce its reliance on imported refined products.