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Dangote Petroleum Refinery has dismissed claims that petroleum products refined at its facility are exported to Lomé, Togo, and later re-imported into Nigeria, describing the allegations as false, misleading and inconsistent with industry realities. In a statement released on Tuesday, the refinery said such a practice would contradict its core objective of strengthening its position as a major supplier of fuel to the Nigerian market and reducing the country’s dependence on imported petroleum products.
The company explained that its sales agreements and tender terms expressly prohibit the resale or re-importation of its products into Nigeria. It further argued that the estimated logistics cost of transporting fuel from the refinery to Togo and back to Nigeria—between $80 and $90 per metric ton—would make such transactions commercially unattractive and significantly reduce profit margins.
Dangote Refinery also noted that it does not offer export discounts that could encourage arbitrage opportunities and maintains comprehensive records of all product sales, including vessel nominations, lifting locations and destination declarations. The refinery stressed that there is neither a strategic nor economic rationale for facilitating exports that would eventually compete with its products in its largest market, insisting that the allegations are unsupported by trade economics, contractual arrangements and its long-standing advocacy for local refining and energy security in Nigeria.
