In a landmark announcement that promises to reshape Nigeria's energy landscape, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, President of the Dangote Group, has declared that the perennial nightmare of fuel queues in the country is now permanently over. He gave this assurance while speaking to State House correspondents in Abuja on Friday, December 6, 2025, following a meeting with President Bola Tinubu.
Stable Supply for Christmas and Ambitious Expansion Plans
Dangote provided concrete figures to back his confidence, stating that the Dangote Refinery has formally notified the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) of its capacity to supply 50 million litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) daily. This volume, he emphasized, comfortably exceeds the nation's current consumption needs.
"Historically, Nigeria has battled fuel queues since 1972. For the first time, we are eliminating those queues, not through imports but by producing locally," Dangote stated. "I can assure you that queues are now history." He further projected that by February, the refinery's output will surpass domestic demand by 15 to 20 million litres daily, necessitating exports that will also benefit neighbouring nations.
Looking beyond immediate supply, Dangote unveiled a staggering expansion blueprint. The refinery aims to increase its capacity to 1.4 million barrels per day by 2028, a move that would dethrone India's Reliance refinery (1.25 million bpd) as the world's largest. "We have already signed the necessary agreements. Construction piling begins before the end of January, and we will deliver on schedule," he assured.
Broader Economic Impact and Policy Support
The industrialist highlighted the ripple effects of the refinery's operations across other sectors. He noted that local manufacturers, especially in plastics, who previously spent about $400 million yearly on imported feedstock, will now have their needs fully met domestically.
On the recent downward trend in petrol and diesel prices, Dangote credited heightened competition and a notable reduction in smuggling activities. "Prices are going down because we must compete with imports. Luckily, smuggling has dropped significantly, though not completely," he explained. He framed the refinery's mission as a long-term national project rather than a quick-profit venture.
Dangote also expressed strong backing for the Federal Government's naira-for-crude oil initiative, calling it a patriotic policy to bolster the local economy. He acknowledged initial pushback from international oil companies but believes the issue will be resolved through legislation or administrative action.
Addressing Infrastructure Gaps
Beyond petroleum, Dangote pointed out critical infrastructure bottlenecks hampering Nigeria's solid minerals sector, citing congestion at major ports like Apapa and Tin Can. To solve this, his group is developing the largest deep-sea port in West Africa at Olokola, expected to be completed in two and a half years.
In the fertilizer sector, plans are underway to scale up urea production to 12 million tonnes annually, which would position Nigeria as the globe's top producer ahead of Russia and Qatar, with the goal of supplying the entire African continent.
Aliko Dangote's comprehensive announcements signal a pivotal shift from fuel import dependency to self-sufficiency and export ambition, potentially heralding a new era of economic stability and industrial growth for Nigeria.
