Nigeria’s Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals has emerged as a critical regional fuel supplier, shipping 456,000 tonnes of refined petroleum products to five African countries as the ongoing conflict in the Middle East continues to disrupt global energy supply chains and push crude prices sharply higher.
The refinery, owned by Africa’s richest man Aliko Dangote, announced it had sold 12 cargoes totalling 456,000 tonnes to countries including Côte d’Ivoire, Cameroon, Tanzania, Ghana and Togo, amid a three-week-long Middle East war that has disrupted oil deliveries through the key Strait of Hormuz.
Data from tanker tracking firm Kpler shows Nigeria’s exports of clean petroleum products, which include petrol, diesel, kerosene and jet fuel, rose to approximately 214,000 barrels per day in March, up from an average of 100,000 barrels per day in February, with shipments to other African countries nearly doubling from 38,000 to about 90,000 barrels per day.
The Strait of Hormuz has been effectively closed to commercial traffic since March 2, disrupting approximately 17.8 million barrels per day of oil flows, which has created an acute supply shortage for African nations that have historically depended on long-haul fuel imports from Europe and the Gulf. Brent crude was priced at approximately $107.81 per barrel as of March 27, roughly $34 higher than a year earlier.
The refinery reached its full nameplate capacity of 650,000 barrels per day in February 2026, and the 456,000 tonnes exported represents its first petrol shipments since achieving that milestone. Officials described the development as a reflection of growing confidence in Nigeria’s refining capacity and a shift in Africa’s fuel supply dynamics.
The refinery is also producing Euro V standard gasoline and diesel, a development expected to improve fuel quality in markets that have historically depended on lower-grade imports, while shorter supply routes are projected to reduce logistics bottlenecks and ease price pressures.
South Africa is seeking a 12-month standard supply contract with Nigeria, and countries including Kenya have also reached out to secure fuel supply arrangements, as governments across the continent scramble to insulate their economies from the ongoing global energy shock.
Before the Dangote refinery opened in 2024, Nigeria depended almost entirely on imported refined petroleum products and faced chronic domestic shortages. A refinery spokesman confirmed the facility had also received inquiries from outside Africa, particularly for jet fuel.
The development underscores a broader structural shift for Africa’s downstream energy sector. For decades, the continent exported crude oil only to re-import refined products at a premium. With Nigeria now supplying markets from West to East Africa, that cycle is beginning to reverse.
