Nigeria’s Dangote Petroleum Refinery became the world’s largest jet fuel exporter in April 2026, shipping about 158,000 barrels a day as Middle East disruptions reshaped global aviation fuel supply.
According to S&P Global Commodities at Sea data, the refinery topped global aviation fuel exports in April after geopolitical tensions in the Middle East disrupted established supply routes. Shipment figures from analytics firm Kpler show jet fuel exports climbing about 770 percent in two years, from roughly 18,000 barrels per day (bpd) in April 2024 to a record 158,000 bpd in April 2026.
The surge was driven by rising aviation fuel demand and a reconfiguration of energy supply chains, as conflict in the Middle East made traditional Gulf to Europe shipping routes longer, costlier and riskier. With the Red Sea a high-risk zone for tankers, a cargo from Lagos can reach European ports in roughly half the time without crossing contested waters.
Europe emerged as the largest destination, taking about 70,000 bpd in April, up from almost nothing two years earlier, while African regional exports rose to 69,000 bpd. Several African countries facing shortages have increasingly sourced refined products from Dangote rather than distant international suppliers.
The 650,000 bpd plant in Lagos has become one of the most strategically important refining hubs in Africa and beyond. Built in the Lekki Free Trade Zone and ranked among the largest single site refineries in the world, the facility began operations in 2024 and has since scaled up exports of jet fuel, diesel and gasoline.
The rise marks a notable shift for Nigeria, which depended for decades on imported refined products despite being one of Africa’s largest crude producers. Analysts say expanded local refining could lift foreign exchange earnings, cut import dependence and strengthen the country’s role in global energy security during periods of instability.
