A report by Energy Intelligence has revealed that the Dangote Petroleum Refinery made significant strides in reducing the importation of aviation fuel into Nigeria, decreasing the daily imports from 13,000 barrels in 2023 to just 5,000 barrels per day (bpd) in 2024.
The PUNCH reported that this remarkable shift comes less than six months after the refinery commenced its production operations.
Currently, Dangote jet fuel constitutes approximately two-thirds of Nigeria’s total jet fuel supply and nearly half of the fuel utilized across the West African region.
The report highlights a drastic decline in Nigeria’s jet fuel imports, which have plummeted from 13,000 bpd last year—when they accounted for the entirety of the country’s aviation fuel supply—to merely 5,000 bpd thus far in 2024.
This trend is mirrored in West Africa, where jet fuel imports from outside the region have similarly decreased from 34,500 bpd in 2023 to just 17,900 bpd this year.
Loading schedules indicated that Dangote jet fuel is being shipped to countries such as Benin, Senegal, Togo, The Gambia, and Gabon.
Since launching its export operations in March, Dangote has reportedly dispatched around 1.1 million tonnes (equivalent to 35,000 bpd) of jet fuel overseas.
This includes nearly 290,000 tonnes of JetA1 fuel sent to Europe and 315,000 tonnes shipped to South America, with the remainder primarily distributed within West Africa.
While exports have seen a slight decline since September, this is attributed to increased domestic sales. Since April, an additional 94,000 tonnes of Dangote jet fuel have been delivered to various ports in Nigeria, predominantly in Lagos.
The management of the refinery had previously indicated that approximately three-quarters of its jet fuel production would be designated for sea exports, while the remaining would be transported via road tankers for inland distribution.
Managing Director of Asharami Synergy, Foluso Sobanjo, remarked on the competitive pricing of Dangote’s jet fuel, stating that it is either slightly lower or comparable to the cost of imported jet fuel.
He noted that Dangote jet fuel is currently priced at a discount of $2 to $3 per metric tonne compared to imports. Additionally, he highlighted the convenience of the 10,000-20,000 tonne “coaster” volumes consistently available from the refinery.
As production ramps up, prices for Dangote jet fuel have declined, even with substantial amounts of jet fuel from the Middle East and Asia passing by the Nigerian coast en route to Europe.
Sources report that the refinery is now operating at a production capacity exceeding 300,000 bpd and recently began selling gasoline.
Furthermore, Sobanjo clarified local media reports that had suggested Dangote had started selling jet fuel locally in naira, ensuring that accurate information regarding the refinery’s pricing strategy is communicated.
