Dangote Refinery Dismisses Shutdown Claims, Says It Maintains 50m Litres Daily Petrol Output

The Dangote Petroleum Refinery has firmly dismissed  media reports in circulation, claiming it is shutting down due to maintenance issues, insisting production remains ongoing, stable, and uninterrupted.

The refinery management, on Monday, stressed that production of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) remains stable and uninterrupted at between 40 and 50 million litres daily.

“The refinery is not shutting down,” it stated, confirming its capacity to supply “between 40 million and 50 million litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) daily through January and February, subject solely to market demand.”

On January 4 alone, “the refinery produced 50 million litres of PMS and evacuated 48 million litres via its gantry,” with “current stock levels covering over 20 days of national consumption, effectively dispelling any concerns about supply.”

Addressing the maintenance, Dangote explained that “due to the sophistication and integrated design of its processing units, routine maintenance on specific units, including the Crude Distillation Unit (CDU) and Residual Fluid Catalytic Cracking (RFCC), does not interrupt overall production.”

It added: “The refinery continues to produce Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), Automotive Gas Oil (Diesel), and Jet A-1 through the operation of other critical units, including but not limited to the Naphtha Hydrotreater, CCR Reformer, and Hydrocracker, which remain fully operational.”

It further highlighted its track record, noting it had consistently maintained adequate PMS availability for the domestic market, loading between 31 million and 48 million litres of PMS daily from its gantry since December 16, 2025—volumes fully verifiable against depot loading records maintained by the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA).

At “an ex-gantry price of N699 per litre…available to all marketers and bulk consumers without discrimination,” Dangote called on stakeholders: “Dangote Petroleum Refinery therefore called on filling station operators, large scale users, and institutional consumers to patronise locally refined, high quality petroleum products, rather than relying on imported alternatives that are often more expensive and of uncertain quality.

“By sourcing PMS locally at N699 per litre, marketers are better positioned to pass on price relief to consumers, enhance market stability, conserve foreign exchange, and support Nigeria’s broader economic recovery and energy security objectives.”

The refinery said the false report in question is, thereby, a deliberate fabrication promoted by fuel importers whose commercial interests are threatened by the stabilising impact of large-scale domestic refining.

According to it, this misinformation has been opportunistically deployed by fuel importers to justify recent and unwarranted increases in petrol pump prices.

Dangote Refinery said, “Such conduct is inconsistent with national interest and imposes unnecessary hardship on Nigerians, particularly at a time when domestic refining has significantly improved supply availability and moderated prices.”

“Without the refinery, petrol prices could escalate to levels estimated at up to N1,400 per litre in a post subsidy environment,” it warned, positioning its operations as “a critical stabilising force in the downstream petroleum market.”

Dangote reaffirmed that the refinery remained firmly committed to ensuring steady supply, price moderation, and long-term energy security through sustained local refining.

In line with “global industry standards,” it does “not comment on internal maintenance schedules, which are managed in accordance with international best practices and do not disrupt supply,” the refinery said.

“Stakeholders and members of the public are advised to disregard false reports, remain vigilant against price manipulation, and rely on verified information from credible sources. Dangote Petroleum Refinery will continue to act in the national interest by supplying high quality, locally refined petroleum products while supporting Nigeria’s economic stability, energy independence, and industrial growth,” it stated.