Dangote Refinery has reduced its petrol price to N1,200 per litre following a drop in global crude oil prices.
Dangote Petroleum Refinery & Petrochemicals exported about 1.66 billion litres of refined petroleum products in April 2026, according to fresh data released by the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority.
The exports came amid rising tensions in the Middle East and fears of disruptions to global fuel supply routes following the escalating conflict involving the United States and Iran.
An analysis of the NMDPRA’s April 2026 fact sheet showed that the refinery exported 513 million litres of Premium Motor Spirit (petrol), 534 million litres of Automotive Gas Oil (diesel), and 615 million litres of aviation fuel within the month.
The refinery, located in Lekki, Lagos State, remains Nigeria’s only major operational refinery producing enough refined products for both domestic consumption and export.
The export volume translates to an average of 55.4 million litres daily, marking the refinery’s highest monthly export performance since operations began.
Industry analysts linked the surge in exports to growing uncertainty in the global oil market, particularly concerns over the security of the Strait of Hormuz, a key international oil shipping route.
Experts said buyers in Europe, Africa, and parts of Asia are increasingly turning to alternative fuel suppliers as geopolitical tensions threaten traditional supply chains.
According to the NMDPRA, local refineries recorded an average capacity utilisation of 99.12 per cent in April, with the Dangote refinery accounting for the bulk of production.
The regulator noted that the refinery operated at 100 per cent capacity “for most of the days in April.”
The report also showed that domestic refineries received 18.37 million barrels of crude oil in April, compared to 13.11 million barrels recorded in March.
Findings indicated that the refinery sustained strong exports despite meeting local supply obligations.
Average daily petrol production stood at 53.6 million litres, with 40.7 million litres supplied locally and 17.1 million litres exported daily.
Diesel production averaged 23.6 million litres per day, while exports accounted for 17.8 million litres daily, more than double the 8 million litres supplied domestically.
For aviation fuel, exports reached 20.5 million litres daily compared to local supply of 2.6 million litres per day.
The strong jet fuel export performance comes amid concerns from domestic airline operators over rising aviation fuel costs.
The latest figures also reinforce reports that Nigeria has become a net exporter of petrol for the first time in decades following increased production from the Dangote refinery.
The refinery had exported about 434 million litres of petrol in March after production exceeded domestic demand.
The NMDPRA report further revealed that Nigerians consumed an average of 51.1 million litres of petrol daily in April, slightly above the regulator’s benchmark estimate of 50 million litres per day.
Diesel consumption stood at 17.3 million litres daily, while aviation fuel consumption averaged 2.5 million litres per day.
Despite increased refining activity, fuel prices remained high nationwide.
The regulator attributed the situation partly to rising global crude oil prices, which averaged $120.55 per barrel in April, while gasoline prices stood at $1,074.97 per metric tonne.
The Dangote refinery, with a production capacity of 650,000 barrels per day, is expected to remain central to Nigeria’s energy security and foreign exchange earnings as global fuel trade patterns continue to shift.
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