By Kunle Sanni –
The President of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, has declared that Nigerians will no longer experience fuel queues, describing the era of scarcity as “gone forever” as the Dangote Refinery ramps up its supply capacity.
Speaking on Friday after a meeting with President Bola Tinubu at the State House, Abuja, Dangote said the refinery is now capable of meeting and exceeding national demand, even while undergoing maintenance.
“If you look at it, in Nigeria we have been having fuel queues since 1972, and we have actually removed those queues,” Dangote said. “For the first time, we’re suppliers to Europe and the U.S. Today we have written to the NMDPRA confirming we can supply 50 million litres every day. There will be no queues at all—even while servicing the refineries.”
He added that neighbouring countries will also no longer face shortages, as they can now source fuel officially from Nigeria. According to him, by February, the refinery will be able to produce 15–20 million litres above Nigeria’s daily consumption, ensuring a steady export capacity.
Dangote also noted that local industries, particularly in plastics, would benefit significantly as the refinery replaces imports that previously cost between $350 million and $400 million.
Looking ahead, Dangote unveiled an ambitious expansion plan: by 2028, the refinery aims to become the largest in the world. “We are going to beat Reliance,” he said, referring to India’s Reliance Industries refinery. “Reliance is 1.25 million barrels per day; we will be at 1.4 million barrels per day. We have already signed and will begin piling before the end of January.”
He assured Nigerians that with these developments, fuel scarcity—long a recurring national challenge—“will never, ever happen again.”