Nigeria Imports 1.947 Million Metric Tonnes Of Petroleum Products Amid Dangote Refinery Pressure

Amid growing calls from Dangote Refinery for Nigeria to cease fuel importation, 1.947 million metric tonnes of petroleum products were imported between October 1 and November 11.

Documents obtained by The Cable reveal that 110 fuel cargoes were offloaded at terminals across Warri, Port Harcourt, Calabar, and Lagos during the six-week period.

The imports included premium motor spirit (PMS), also known as petrol, automotive gas oil (AGO), commonly referred to as diesel, and aviation fuel (Jet-A1).

Breakdown of Imports consisted of:

– Petrol: 1.52 million MT (2.02 billion litres)

– Diesel: 414,018 MT (487.1 million litres)

– Jet-A1: 13,500 MT (16.46 million litres)

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) accounted for 789,721 MT (1.05 billion litres) of the total volume, representing 40.5 percent of the imports.

Since the federal government deregulated the downstream petroleum sector on October 11, the Dangote Refinery has been campaigning for an end to petroleum imports.

Aliko Dangote, founder of the Dangote Group, expressed frustration during a press briefing on October 29, stating that the refinery had over 500 million litres of petrol in stock but was unable to sell due to ongoing imports.

“I am expecting the NNPC or the marketers to stop importing. They should come and pick because we have what they need,” Dangote said.

On November 1, the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) criticized the refinery’s pricing structure, claiming that petrol from Dangote is more expensive than from other sources.

They vowed to continue importing and selling at a lower price than both the refinery and NNPC.

In response, the Dangote Refinery accused marketers of importing substandard fuel, arguing that its pricing reflects the quality of its products.