The ongoing conflict in the Middle East has disrupted global energy flows, tightening supplies of refined petroleum products and diminishing the availability of cheap fuel imports from Europe and the Gulf. This shift has strengthened the market position of Dangote Petroleum Refinery in Nigeria and across West Africa, CNBC Africa reports.
With the refinery operating at full capacity since earlier in 2026, Nigeria has seen a sharp decline in refined fuel imports, dropping from about 209,000 barrels per day in February to roughly 90,000 bpd in March, as overseas shipments become scarcer and more expensive under current global conditions.
At the same time, Dangote Refinery’s export volumes have surged. Its gasoline exports across Africa more than doubled to around 214,000 barrels per day, with deliveries reaching countries including Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Togo, Cameroon, and Tanzania.
The reduced reliance on imported fuel has given the refinery greater leverage in regional markets, while supporting Nigeria’s strategy to pivot from a net fuel importer to a leading supplier of refined products in West Africa amid persistent volatility in global energy supplies.
