Why Dangote Refinery IPO Is Successful — Petroleum Minister

Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Heineken Lokpobiri, has attributed the success of the ongoing Dangote Petroleum Refinery initial public offering to the Federal Government’s deregulation of the petroleum sector.

Lokpobiri stated this on Thursday while speaking at the National Summit of the Forum of Former Presiding Officers of State Houses of Assembly in Abuja.

The minister said deregulation had created an environment for greater private-sector participation in the downstream oil industry and helped Dangote Refinery emerge as a major player in Nigeria’s petroleum sector.

The Dangote Refinery IPO, which opened on September 14, comprises 4.1 billion ordinary shares priced at ₦525 each, with the company seeking to raise about ₦2.15tn. The offer has been described as Africa’s largest initial public offering.

According to Lokpobiri, deregulation ended the previous arrangement in which the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited was the country’s sole importer of refined petroleum products.

He said the government’s investment in Dangote Refinery had also aligned public and private interests in the downstream sector.

“Before now, NNPC used to be the sole importer of refined products. We export our crude and we import refined products. Today, NNPC doesn’t import any refined products because NNPC is also a shareholder of Dangote Refinery,” the minister said.

Lokpobiri added that the Federal Government supported the refinery’s public offering and expressed confidence that the IPO would attract substantial investor interest.

The public offer is scheduled to close on October 13, with investors able to subscribe for a minimum of 10 shares, requiring an investment of ₦5,250.

The minister also linked the petroleum-sector reforms to the absence of nationwide fuel queues since 2023, saying increased domestic refining capacity had contributed to improved supply conditions.

He further said reforms in the petroleum industry were contributing significantly to Nigeria’s foreign exchange earnings, estimating the sector’s contribution at about 85 per cent.

The comments come as strong demand for the Dangote IPO has placed pressure on some digital investment platforms, with several reporting disruptions as retail investors rushed to subscribe.

The Securities and Exchange Commission has advised prospective investors to use only officially approved channels and carefully review the IPO prospectus before investing.

Meanwhile, Dangote Refinery has plans to expand its processing capacity from its current level to 1.4 million barrels per day, with proceeds from the offer expected to support expansion and strengthen the company’s access to capital markets.

Lokpobiri said the government’s broader petroleum reforms were intended to sustain private investment, improve domestic refining and reduce Nigeria’s dependence on imported refined petroleum products.