Dangote Refinery dismisses Togo fuel re-importation claims, calls allegation economically unrealistic.

Dangote Petroleum Refinery has rejected allegations that petroleum products refined at its facility are exported to Lomé, Togo, and later re-imported into Nigeria, describing the claims as false and lacking commercial justification.

The company said the allegation, which recently circulated online, had no economic, strategic, or operational basis, prompting it to issue a clarification despite its usual practice of not responding to unverified claims.
In a statement released on Tuesday through its X account, the refinery stated that facilitating the importation of products that compete with its own output would be contrary to its business objectives.
“As a matter of policy, we do not respond to baseless and unsubstantiated claims, given our current determination and focus on ensuring energy security in Nigeria and Africa as a whole.
“However, we have decided to clear the air on this ill-motivated web of falsehoods for posterity,” the statement said.
The company explained that its commercial strategy is focused on strengthening its position in Nigeria’s domestic fuel market, making any arrangement that encourages competing imports commercially unreasonable.
“A key objective of Dangote Refinery is to maintain and strengthen its position as a leading supplier of petroleum products to the Nigerian market. Facilitating imports that compete directly with our own production would be inconsistent with this objective,” the management stated.
According to the refinery, transporting products from its facility to Togo and then back into Nigeria would significantly increase costs and reduce profitability.
“The estimated logistics cost of moving products from Dangote Refinery to Lomé and subsequently back into Nigeria is approximately $80–90 per metric ton. These additional costs would significantly erode margins and make such transactions commercially unattractive,” the statement noted.
The company also revealed that its sales agreements and tender conditions expressly prohibit buyers from re-importing products into Nigeria. It added that it maintains comprehensive records of product sales, including lifting locations, vessels, counterparties, and destination declarations where required.
“Dangote Refinery maintains comprehensive records of all product sales, including lifting locations, nominated vessels, counterparties, and destination declarations where applicable.
“Any suggestion that the refinery is knowingly facilitating re-importation is inconsistent with the contractual restrictions imposed on buyers and the refinery’s established compliance procedures.”
The refinery further reaffirmed its support for local refining, stressing that dependence on imported petroleum products undermines domestic industrial growth and puts additional pressure on foreign exchange reserves.
“It would therefore be inconsistent with both the refinery’s commercial interests and its publicly stated position to support or encourage practices that increase imports into Nigeria,” the management stated.
The company maintained that neither the economics of the trade nor its contractual safeguards support claims that products refined at the facility are exported to neighbouring countries and later returned to the Nigerian market.
“The allegation is not supported by the economics of the trade, the refinery’s contractual arrangements, its product traceability and compliance controls, or its long-standing position on strengthening domestic refining and eliminating dependence on imports,” the statement added.