The Dangote Refinery plans to stop crude importation by December 2025. This move will allow the refinery to rely fully on Nigerian crude for its operations. A Bloomberg report revealed this through Devakumar Edwin, Vice President at Dangote Industries. Edwin oversees the 650,000 barrel-per-day refinery located in Lagos.
According to Edwin, the refinery’s contracts with foreign crude suppliers will end soon. He confirmed that Dangote Refinery plans to end crude importation by December 2025 and start using only Nigerian crude.
Edwin explained that the refinery has been importing crude from Brazil, Angola, Ghana, and Equatorial Guinea. However, he said better cooperation between the refinery, local oil traders, and the Nigerian government will ensure a steady supply of domestic crude.
Dangote Refinery Plans To End Crude Importation By December For Full Local Supply
The Bloomberg report noted that in June, about half of the crude processed by the refinery came from Nigerian producers. Edwin confirmed that as foreign supply contracts expire, the refinery will fully switch to Nigerian crude.
“We expect some of the long-term contracts will expire. Personally, and as a company, we expect that before the end of the year, we can transition 100 per cent to local crude,” Edwin said.
Bloomberg’s data showed that the Dangote Refinery sourced 53 per cent of its crude from Nigeria and 47 per cent from the United States in June.
At the moment, the refinery processes 550,000 barrels of crude oil per day, according to Edwin.
Bloomberg also reported that Dangote Refinery will receive five crude cargoes from the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited in July and the same amount in August. Each cargo contains nearly one million barrels of crude.
Aliko Dangote, Africa’s richest man, built the $20 billion refinery to reduce Nigeria’s dependence on imported petroleum products. For years, Nigeria has been exporting crude to Europe, only to buy back refined products at high prices.
Dangote Refinery Plans To End Crude Importation By December Amid Major Changes
The gradual increase in production at the refinery has already made Nigeria a net exporter of petroleum products. However, the refinery has faced challenges securing enough crude from local traders, leading it to buy large amounts of crude from abroad.
Despite Nigeria’s crude-for-naira deal, Dangote Refinery has relied heavily on the United States for crude supplies.
Aliko Dangote, Chairman of the refinery, recently said the refinery depends on US crude because domestic traders have struggled to meet demand.
However, the refinery now expects to increase its purchase of local crude in the coming months, as more Nigerian oil producers end their foreign supply commitments.
Bottom Line
The move by Dangote Refinery to end crude importation by December 2025 shows just how much is changing in Nigeria’s oil sector.
For years, the country has relied on foreign crude and imported fuel, but this refinery is flipping the script. If the plan works, Nigeria could finally depend on its own oil, not just for exports but also for local refining.
Many Nigerians are watching closely to see if this will truly become reality. If this happens, it will not just mark a major milestone for Dangote. It will also reshape Nigeria’s energy economy in ways that were once seen as impossible.
