In a recent announcement at the Africa CEO Forum Annual Summit in Kigali, Aliko Dangote, the Chairman of the Dangote Group, expressed confidence that Nigeria will no longer need to import Premium Motor Spirit, commonly known as fuel, by June 2024. This revelation comes as the Dangote Refinery, a $20 billion project, is set to increase Nigeria’s refined fuel products output to 650,000 barrels per day by June.

“Right now, Nigeria has no cause to import anything apart from gasoline, and by sometime in June, within the next four or five weeks, Nigeria shouldn’t import anything like gasoline, not one drop of a litre,” Dangote declared.

This statement contradicts a previous report by Standard and Poor’s Global Commodities, S & P, which suggested that the refinery would start supplying fuel in the third quarter of 2024. However, the Dangote Refinery has already begun supplying diesel and aviation fuel in Nigeria as of last month.

Dangote emphasized the refinery’s capacity to meet the fuel needs of not only Nigeria but also the entire West and Central Africa, stating, “We have enough gasoline to give to at least the entire West Africa, diesel to give to West Africa and Central Africa.”