Nigeria’s Dangote refinery has increased exports of gasoline and urea to African markets as supply disruptions linked to the Iran war tighten fuel availability across the continent, owner Aliko Dangote said on Monday.
The 650,000-barrel-per-day facility — the largest refinery in Africa — is now operating at full capacity, helping to cushion the impact of the crisis both domestically and regionally.
“What I can do is assure Nigerians and most of West, Central and East Africa — we have the capacity to supply them,” Dangote said during a tour of the refinery near Lagos.
The refinery exported around 17 gasoline cargoes to African countries in March, while shipments of urea fertiliser have also increased as buyers seek alternative suppliers.
“In the last couple of days, we’ve been looking mostly to African countries, which we were not doing before,” Dangote said, referring to fertiliser exports.
The plant can produce up to 3 million metric tons of urea annually, with most volumes traditionally exported to markets such as the United States and South America.
Despite the ramp-up in refining output, fuel prices in Nigeria have climbed to record highs, reflecting elevated global crude prices that have offset gains in domestic supply.
Dangote said the refinery is seeking increased access to crude priced in naira to help lower fuel costs in the local market.
According to trade sources and a refinery official, the state-owned Nigerian National Petroleum Company is expected to allocate seven crude cargoes for May delivery to the refinery, up from five in previous months.