Dangote Refinery Denies Claims of Fuel Re-Importation Through Togo

Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals has rejected claims that petroleum products exported from its facility are being re-imported into Nigeria through the Lomé trading hub in Togo, describing the allegation as unfounded and misleading.

In a statement issued by its management, the refinery said there was no evidence to support claims made by S&P Global that Nigerian marketers were importing products originally supplied by the refinery to international traders.

According to the company, the allegation is inconsistent with available trade data, commercial realities and the operational objectives of the refinery.

“Management states unequivocally that the allegation is not supported by verifiable trade data, commercial logic, or the operational realities of the Dangote refinery,” the statement said.

The refinery stressed that one of its primary objectives is to strengthen domestic fuel supply and reduce Nigeria’s dependence on imported petroleum products, noting that facilitating re-importation would directly contradict that goal.

It explained that all sales contracts and tender agreements contain clauses prohibiting the resale or re-importation of its products into Nigeria.

The company also argued that the economics of such a trade route make little commercial sense.

According to the statement, transporting petroleum products from the refinery to Lomé and back to Nigeria would attract logistics costs estimated at between $82 and $90 per metric tonne, making the transactions commercially unattractive.

“Dangote refinery does not provide export discounts sufficient to offset these costs or create arbitrage opportunities between export and domestic markets,” the management stated.

The refinery further disclosed that it maintains strict product traceability systems, including records of vessels, counterparties, loading points and declared destinations, ensuring visibility throughout the supply chain.

It insisted that there was no strategic, economic or operational basis for products exported from the refinery to be deliberately routed back into Nigeria.

The reaction followed comments by S&P Global Energy official Matthew Tracey-Cook during a webinar organised by the Major Energies Marketers Association of Nigeria, where he claimed that a significant percentage of fuel imported into Nigeria between March and May originated from Dangote refinery volumes that had passed through Lomé.

The refinery maintained that such claims fail to withstand scrutiny and reaffirmed its commitment to supporting local refining, conserving foreign exchange and promoting Nigeria’s industrial development.

The company is currently pursuing legal action aimed at restricting fuel importation into Nigeria as part of efforts to protect domestic refining capacity.