The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) has announced that the Dangote refinery is expected to supply 25 million liters of petrol daily this month.
This development comes after the refinery officially began petrol production on September 3.
According to the NMDPRA, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited has agreed to supply crude oil to the refinery in naira. This agreement was reached at the NMDPRA headquarters in Abuja, paving the way for the refinery to commence operations.
The refinery is initially expected to supply 25 million liters of petrol into the domestic market this September, with plans to increase this amount to 30 million liters daily from October 2024. This development is a significant milestone for the refinery, which had faced several delays and disputes with regulatory authorities.
The Dangote refinery had initially announced plans to begin production of petrol in June, but faced several setbacks, including a minor delay that pushed the commencement date to July. Despite further delays, the refinery has finally begun production, with plans to increase output in the coming months.
The federal executive council (FEC) had approved a proposal by President Bola Tinubu directing the NNPC to sell crude oil to Dangote refinery and other refineries in naira. This development followed several disputes between the refinery, the NNPCL, NMDPRA, and the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC).
The commencement of petrol production by the Dangote refinery is a significant development for Nigeria, which has long relied on imported petrol to meet domestic demand. With the refinery’s production expected to increase in the coming months, Nigeria may finally achieve self-sufficiency in petrol production.
