Nigeria’s Dangote Refinery has grown beyond a national project and is now becoming a major player in the global aviation fuel market.
Speaking at the S&P Global Energy Middle East Petroleum and Gas Conference in London, Chief Executive David Bird said the 650,000-barrel-per-day facility is now making enough extra jet fuel to supply markets around the world.
Since demand in Africa is still fairly low, the refinery is looking abroad and taking advantage of supply disruptions in the Gulf region, where conflict and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz have limited supplies.
“We’re very grateful to be seen as a reliable, high-quality and dependable supplier able to land our product competitively all over the world,” Bird said, noting that the refinery is currently running at full capacity.
The company has big plans. Bird announced a project called “ruthless replication” that aims to double capacity by 2028, adding another 700,000 barrels per day of advanced refining. Contracts are already being signed, and key equipment is being ordered.
Dangote also plans to build a new refinery in East Africa. This could raise its total refining capacity to 2.1 million barrels per day and strengthen its position as a major player in global energy.
The change is remarkable. Nigeria, which used to struggle with fuel shortages, now has what Bird calls “absolute fuel abundance.”
With extra jet fuel ready for export and new projects in progress, the Dangote Refinery is changing Nigeria’s energy sector and helping the country become a key supplier for global aviation.