Nigeria’s Dangote Refinery exports aviation fuel to Saudi Arabia's Aramco

Nigeria’s Dangote Refinery has exported two cargoes of aviation fuel to Saudi Aramco, marking a key milestone in its push to become a global energy player.

According to The Punch, Aliko Dangote, president of the Dangote Group, revealed the export during a visit by the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG) to the company’s refinery and fertiliser plant in Lagos. He said the refinery, which began production in 2024, has steadily increased output and is now operating at a capacity of 550,000 barrels per day (bpd).

The Dangote Refinery is the world’s largest single-train refinery and is designed to process 650,000 bpd of crude oil when fully operational. Aimed at meeting Nigeria’s domestic fuel demand, it also seeks to cut reliance on imports and position the country as a net exporter of petroleum products.

The export to Saudi Arabia is part of the refinery’s broader strategy to capture a share of the global refined products market.

During the NESG visit, Dangote underscored the need for government support to strengthen domestic industries. He pointed out that major economies such as the US and China protect their local businesses and cited Benin Republic’s restrictions on cement imports as an example of policies that shield national industries.