Nigeria’s ambition to achieve self-sufficiency in fuel production and fully harness the benefits of local oil refining remains uncertain, as both crude oil and refined petroleum product imports surged in the first half of 2025.
Between January and June, the Dangote Refinery—touted as the country’s hope for ending fuel imports—imported an estimated 60 million barrels of crude oil from various global suppliers. At the same time, Nigeria’s refined fuel imports crossed the N4 trillion mark, according to data released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) over the weekend.
Confirming the figures, President of the Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, revealed at the West African Refined Fuel Conference in Abuja in July that his refinery now imports between 9 million and 10 million barrels of crude monthly from the United States and other countries.
The development underscores Nigeria’s lingering reliance on foreign energy supplies, despite efforts to expand local refining capacity. Analysts warn that until domestic crude supply challenges are resolved, the country’s energy security goals will remain elusive.
