Dangote Refinery denies allegations of fuel export and re-importation.

Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals has rejected claims that its petroleum products are exported to Lomé, Togo, only to be re-imported into Nigeria, calling the allegations false, misleading and unsupported by commercial or operational evidence.

Management released a statement expressing concern about circulating reports that products refined at the facility are routed through neighboring countries before returning to Nigeria.

Although the refinery typically does not respond to unfounded claims, it felt compelled to address the matter to promote transparency and public understanding.

The statement asserts that the allegations lack verifiable trade data, commercial logic, or alignment with the refinery’s operational realities.

Management reiterated that a key objective of the refinery is to strengthen Nigeria’s domestic fuel supply and act as a leading provider of petroleum products, noting that any arrangement encouraging imports to compete with its own products would contradict that mandate.

The refinery disclosed that all sales contracts and tender agreements with buyers explicitly prohibit the resale or re-importation of its products into Nigeria.

The company further argued that the economics of such a trade route are illogical, citing that transporting products from the refinery to Lomé and back to Nigeria would cost between $82 and $90 per metric tonne.

The statement added that these additional logistics costs would sharply cut profit margins, making the transaction commercially unviable.

“Dangote Refinery does not provide export discounts sufficient to offset these costs or create arbitrage opportunities between export and domestic markets. Simply put, no rational producer would incur additional shipping, storage, financing and handling costs only for products to re-enter and compete in its primary market,” the company stated.

Management also highlighted the refinery’s traceability measures, which include detailed records of lifting points, nominated vessels, counterparties, and declared destinations.

These safeguards guarantee transparency and accountability across the supply chain, enabling tracking of product movement from the refinery to final destinations.

The company maintained that any suggestion of facilitating or tolerating re-importation of its products contradicts its contractual obligations and compliance standards.

Dangote Refinery also underscored its long‑standing advocacy for reducing Nigeria’s reliance on imported petroleum