Dangote Petroleum Refinery Plc has assured Nigerians of sustained availability of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), popularly known as petrol, declaring that the country has entered a new era of fuel abundance.
The assurance was given by the newly appointed Managing Director of the refinery, Mr David Bird, during a press briefing in Lagos on Wednesday.
Bird said the refinery’s seamless supply of fuel during the Christmas and New Year holidays demonstrated its capacity to meet Nigeria’s domestic demand without disruptions.
According to him, beyond availability, Nigerians are now consuming world-class fuel produced to Euro 5 standards, noting that the refinery also exports petrol to Europe and aviation fuel to markets such as Dubai.
He criticised the long-standing practice of dumping substandard fuel products in West Africa, stressing that Dangote Refinery’s output represents a major public health improvement due to its lower sulphur content and cleaner quality.
“We have been able to achieve 1,000 trucks daily and about 50 million litres of fuel supply per day,” Bird said, adding that stable and relatively lower fuel prices are contributing to economic stability and supporting the naira.
He disclosed that the refinery’s planned expansion, including increasing polypropylene production to 2.4 million tonnes, would strengthen local manufacturing and create a large industrial ecosystem.
Bird said the management was focused on capacity building and expansion rather than dwelling on the controversial reorganisation carried out in October.
“Dangote’s vision for expansion is about driving down costs in a way that supports population-led growth,” he said.
The Managing Director also dismissed claims by some industry players that the N739 pump price of petrol was anti-competitive.
“The retail price is fully competitive. Consumers have a choice, and I would like to see an improved regulatory approach that supports a fair market,” he said.
Speaking at the briefing, the Head of Communications, Dangote Group, Mr Anthony Chiejina, said recent global oil market disruptions, including the crisis in Venezuela, further highlighted the importance of domestic refining.
Bird explained that reliance on fuel imports exposes Nigeria to global price volatility, while local production provides stability and shields the economy from international shocks.
“Nigeria is now enjoying world-class fuel. This is a continental project, not just a crude processing plant. Our goal is price stability within international benchmark ranges,” he said.
On expansion plans, Bird described the strategy as “ruthless replication,” noting that similar facilities could be built within three years, with steel structures expected to start rising before the end of 2026.
He disclosed that despite ramping up operations in the second half of 2025, the refinery has consistently supplied over 50 million litres of finished fuel daily, sometimes exceeding 52 million litres.
Bird said this was possible because the facility is a highly flexible merchant refining, blending and trading platform rather than a conventional single-crude refinery.
On fuel distribution, he said about 4,000 trucks are currently on site, adding that the final stage before full rollout of free trucking is the deployment of a computerised security system to ensure accurate fuel delivery.
He also described polypropylene production as central to the refinery’s strategy, noting that current capacity of 800,000 tonnes would rise to 1.2 million tonnes with a new PDH unit, and eventually to 2.4 million tonnes.
Bird added that future diversification plans could include detergents, base oils, lubricants and Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), driven by import substitution and population growth.
On the crude-for-naira programme, he said between 30 and 40 per cent of the refinery’s crude supply currently comes from the scheme, adding that ongoing engagement with NNPC Limited and the Federal Government could improve allocations.
According to him, the programme has contributed significantly to naira stability and could be expanded in Nigeria’s long-term economic interest.
