Aliko Dangote, President of Dangote Industries Limited has alleged that Nigeria’s downstream regulator is still granting licences for petrol importation despite claims that such approvals have been halted.
Dangote said the continued issuance of import permits by the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) could undermine the operations of the Dangote Petroleum Refinery and threaten Nigeria’s energy security.
Speaking in an interview, the billionaire businessman insisted that his refinery has the capacity to meet the country’s petrol demand, producing up to 75 million litres daily.
According to him, the ongoing importation of refined petroleum products contradicts assurances by the regulator that fuel imports would reduce once domestic refining capacity improves.
“They are still issuing licences despite the fact that we can meet the demand. They are importing and we are exporting,” Dangote said.
The regulator had earlier stated that it stopped issuing new petrol import licences in 2026 because domestic refineries, particularly the Dangote refinery, were now able to supply a significant share of the local market.
The agency explained that under the Petroleum Industry Act, import permits are only allowed when local production cannot meet national consumption.
However, available data indicated that imported petrol consumption stood at about 24.8 million litres per day in January 2026 before declining to roughly 3 million litres daily in February.
Dangote further alleged that many of the companies importing fuel into Nigeria do not own retail outlets, raising concerns that some of the imported products could be diverted or smuggled after arrival.
He warned that unchecked imports could weaken local refining efforts in the same way agricultural imports previously affected domestic rice production.
Nigeria has historically depended on imported refined petroleum products due to the poor performance of its state-owned refineries.
However, expectations have risen following the start of operations at the Dangote refinery, which has a capacity of about 650,000 barrels per day.
Meanwhile, Yusuf Tuggar, Nigeria’s minister of foreign affairs has called on oil-producing countries in the Gulf region to invest in Nigeria’s energy sector, stressing that partnerships could help diversify global supply amid geopolitical tensions in the Middle East.
Tuggar noted that Nigeria’s oil production has increased to about 1.7 million barrels per day since the administration of Bola Ahmed Tinubu began in 2023, adding that further investment in fields and pipelines could boost output.