Aliko Dangote, President of the Dangote Group, has assured Nigerians that this Christmas will be free of fuel queues, declaring that the country’s longstanding festive-season scarcity has finally been brought to an end through increased local refining capacity.
Dangote gave the pledge on Friday while speaking with State House Correspondents after what he described as a routine meeting with President Bola Tinubu at the State House, Abuja. He said the Dangote Refinery had formally notified the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) of its readiness to supply 50 million litres of petrol daily—well above national demand.
“Historically, Nigeria has battled fuel queues since 1972. For the first time, we are eliminating those queues, not through imports but by producing locally,” he stated. “Even when we were servicing the refinery, there were no queues. I can assure you that queues are now history.”
He added that neighbouring countries would also benefit from the surplus, noting that by February 2026, the refinery is expected to produce 15 to 20 million litres more than Nigeria consumes daily.
“So, we must export. Even our neighbours won’t experience queues because they can buy from us,” he said.
Dangote highlighted significant gains for manufacturers, especially in the plastics sector, which previously spent up to $400 million annually on imported feedstock. He also disclosed an ambitious expansion plan that will see the refinery grow to 1.4 million barrels per day by 2028—surpassing India’s Reliance Refinery, currently the largest in the world.
“We have already signed the necessary agreements. Construction piling begins before the end of January, and we will deliver on schedule,” he said.
He further revealed plans to boost urea fertiliser output to 12 million tonnes yearly, positioning Nigeria to overtake Russia and Qatar as the world’s top producer. “Our goal is to use our fertiliser company to supply the entire African continent,” he noted.
On the recent drop in petrol and diesel prices, Dangote attributed the trend to stronger competition and reduced smuggling.
“Prices are going down because we must compete with imports. Luckily, smuggling has dropped significantly, though not completely,” he explained.
Dangote stressed that the refinery was not built for quick profit but for long-term national value.
“We’re not here to recover $20 billion overnight; this is a long-term investment. The legacy I want to leave is that whatever Nigerians need—fuel, fertiliser, power—we will be part of delivering it.”
He also endorsed the Tinubu administration’s Naira-for-crude policy, describing it as a patriotic measure to strengthen the economy despite early pushback from international oil companies. Implementation issues, he said, would be resolved “either through legislation or administrative action.”
He concluded by emphasising that sustained industrial investment—not luxury acquisitions—is the key to Nigeria’s economic future.