Dangote’s Refinery Crashes Petrol Import By 1.54% To $1.2Bn In Q1, 2025
Dangote refinery has contained to sustained its refining activities as crashed fuel imports to drop by 1.54 per cent in the first quarter, (Q1) of 2025.
Nigeria reportedly spent $2.6 billion on fuel imports in Q1 2024, which declined sharply to $1.2 billion in Q1 2025.
The Senior General Manager, Corporate Communications at Dangote Industries Limited, Sunday Esan, who dropped the hint in Lagos during the 2025 Media Week of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Lagos State Council, themed: “Unlocking Opportunities for Businesses in a Challenging Economy: The Role of the Media / Roadmaps to Energy Security in Nigeria”, said the refinery has saved Nigeria over N10 billion annually in foreign exchange by replacing imports with local production.
According to the Dangote executive the refinery had significantly reduced the nation’s dependence on imported petroleum products, adding “It has significantly curtailed oil imports and created measurable economic impact.
“The refinery is more than a national landmark; it is reducing foreign exchange outflows, driving GDP growth, creating jobs, positioning Nigeria as a regional energy hub, and strengthening our national energy supply.”
Esan said the Dangote Refinery, which began operations almost two years ago, has already made substantial contributions to the Nigerian economy, stressing that these include helping to curtail PMS and diesel importation, stabilising the Naira, creating thousands of jobs, and strengthening the country’s energy supply chain.
Esan revealed that the refinery was reviewing production capacity, a scale-up from 650,000 barrels per day to 1.4 million barrels per day, adding that global interest in the refinery continues to grow, with Saudi Aramco — one of the world’s largest refiners — and US buyers expressing interest in its jet fuel.
He explained the massive size of the refinery complex, that spans an area approximately seven times the size of Victoria Island, Lagos, requiring a minimum of five hours to tour by car, adding “This shows the magnitude of the investment that one man, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, has brought to life.”
The acquisition of 4,000 CNG trucks for product distribution, Esan said has created no fewer than 24,000 jobs.
Speaking on the role of the media in advancing energy security, Esan encouraged journalists, particularly NUJ members, to set the right agenda and report accurately on developments in the energy sector.
Esan said “We want your members to visit the refinery so your reports will be accurate and well-informed.
“When some people are bent on pulling it down, you will understand that this is a national asset we must protect.”
In his welcome address, Adeleye Ajayi, NUJ Lagos Chairman, described the lecture as a valuable opportunity to highlight and examine the major challenges threatening Nigeria’s energy sector.
Ajayi acknowledged the Federal Government’s continuing efforts to harness the sector’s potential for national development.
He welcomed Esan’s remarks on agenda-setting for journalists and affirmed that the union had consistently set national agendas at both state and federal levels.
The NUJ Lagos Chairman called on Dangote Group and other stakeholders in the energy sector to remain open to collaboration with the media.