The Dangote Petroleum Refinery exported approximately 434 million litres of Premium Motor Spirit in March 2026, marking a decisive moment in Nigeria's downstream petroleum sector as domestic production began outpacing local consumption for the first time on record.
According to data compiled from the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority's March 2026 fact sheet, the Lagos-based refinery produced a total of 1.49 billion litres of petrol during the 31-day period. Of this volume, 1.06 billion litres were channeled to the domestic market, leaving a substantial surplus that was redirected to export channels.
Historical Shift in Downstream Trade
Gasoline imports into Nigeria plummeted to 41,000 barrels per day in March, the lowest level ever recorded in the country's downstream history. Market intelligence from Kpler confirmed this dramatic contraction, reflecting the rapid displacement of foreign refined products by domestic output from the Dangote complex.
Crude supply to the refinery reached approximately 565,000 barrels per day during the month, representing the second-highest intake since the 650,000-barrel-per-day facility commenced operations in late 2023. Total gasoline exports from the refinery surged to 44,000 barrels per day in March, compared to zero exports recorded in January and February. This swing enabled Nigeria to post a net export position of roughly 3,000 barrels per day for the month.
A statement released by the refinery noted that Nigeria had achieved a historic reversal in its downstream petroleum trade balance, emerging as a net exporter of gasoline driven primarily by accelerating production from the Dangote complex.
New Export Corridors Open
In an effort to expand its commercial reach, the Dangote Refinery dispatched its first-ever gasoline shipment to East Africa in March, loading a 317,000-barrel cargo destined for Mozambique. Industry observers indicated that regional buyers were actively seeking alternatives to Middle East Gulf supplies given persistent disruptions affecting traditional trade routes.
Another outbound shipment scheduled for April was confirmed heading to Beira, Mozambique, signaling the emergence of a new corridor for Nigerian refined product exports. The development positions the facility as a growing supplier to continental markets beyond West Africa.
President and Chief Executive of Dangote Industries Limited, Aliko Dangote, recently praised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's energy sector reforms, describing them as essential to restoring investor confidence and enabling large-scale capital deployment in domestic refining infrastructure.
Diesel Output and State Refinery Status
Beyond petrol, the refinery's diesel output demonstrated similar production strength. Automotive Gas Oil production averaged 16.5 million litres per day during March, though only 2.2 million litres were allocated to domestic supply, indicating that the bulk of diesel output also entered export channels.
In contrast, Nigeria's three state-owned refineries remained non-operational throughout the period. The Port Harcourt Refining Company was shut down, with only minimal evacuation of previously produced diesel occurring at an average of 48,000 litres per day. The Warri Refining and Petrochemical Company and the Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical Company were also idle, leaving the Dangote complex as the sole active large-scale refining asset in the country.