Industrial oil refinery with complex piping and processing units at Dangote Refinery, Nigeria.
Nigeria’s seaborne petroleum product exports have surged sevenfold since 2023, driven largely by output from the Dangote refinery. Shipments averaged 561,000 barrels per day in the second quarter of 2026, compared with 79,000 bpd in 2023, while exports reached 350,000 bpd versus 46,000 bpd in 2023. The Lekki-based refinery began operations in 2024 with a crude distillation capacity of 650,000 bpd, which has since risen to 700,000 bpd. As production grew, Nigeria’s imports declined and intra-Nigerian shipments increased to 211,000 bpd in the second quarter, from 81,000 bpd in 2025. Exports to Europe reached 130,000 bpd, while shipments to Africa approached 120,000 bpd. In contrast, seaborne imports fell below 130,000 bpd from nearly 400,000 bpd in 2023, showing the refinery’s growing role in Nigeria’s fuel market.