Nigerian fuel marketers are increasingly importing refined petroleum products from the Dangote Petroleum Refinery through the offshore ship-to-ship trading hub in Lom\u00e9, Togo, despite the refinery\u2019s growing local output.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Energy analysts say the unusual trade pattern reflects pricing disparities between local and international markets. Data presented at a recent industry webinar showed that Dangote-origin products have become dominant in waterborne deliveries to Lagos and other Nigerian ports, with more than 70 to 80 percent of imports between March and May 2026 traced back to Dangote volumes re-imported via Lom\u00e9.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Lom\u00e9 hub remains critical because many West African ports cannot accommodate fully laden medium-range tankers. Larger vessels discharge offshore, and smaller coasters ferry cargoes inland. This system has allowed Dangote\u2019s petrol, diesel, jet fuel, and other refined products to circulate widely across the region.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Analysts also noted that global disruptions, including the U.S.-Iran war, amplified Dangote\u2019s role. With Persian Gulf jet fuel supplies cut off, Europe turned to alternative sources, and Dangote emerged as one of the largest exporters of jet fuel globally in May 2026, with deliveries reaching the UK, Netherlands, and South Africa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Still, controversy lingers over pricing. Nigerian marketers previously alleged that Dangote sells petrol to international traders at \u20a665 cheaper per litre than to domestic buyers, forcing some to purchase through Lom\u00e9 intermediaries. Dangote denied the claims, but the practice has fueled debate over fairness in local supply.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On social media, Nigerians voiced frustration. One user wrote: \u201cHow can we be importing Dangote fuel through Togo when the refinery is in Nigeria? Something doesn\u2019t add up.\u201d<\/em> Another added: \u201cIf Dangote sells cheaper abroad, Nigerians are being shortchanged.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Policy commentators stressed the need for transparency. \u201cThis shows how pricing distortions can undermine local markets. Regulators must ensure Nigerians benefit directly from domestic refining,\u201d said Lagos-based analyst Ngozi Eze.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Industry stakeholders defended the logistics. \u201cThe Lom\u00e9 hub is not about favoritism; it\u2019s about infrastructure. Many Nigerian ports cannot handle large tankers, so transshipment is unavoidable,\u201d explained a petroleum marketer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Economists warned of broader implications. \u201cFuel pricing affects inflation, transport, and livelihoods. If Nigerians pay more than international buyers, it raises serious equity concerns,\u201d said Professor Akpan Ekpo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For many Nigerians, the issue is symbolic. \u201cWe waited years for Dangote\u2019s refinery to reduce dependence on imports. Now we\u2019re importing Dangote fuel through Togo. It feels like d\u00e9j\u00e0 vu,\u201d said Abuja resident Musa Ibrahim.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Nigerian fuel marketers are increasingly importing refined petroleum products from the Dangote Petroleum Refinery through the offshore ship-to-ship trading hub in Lom\u00e9, Togo, despite the refinery\u2019s growing local output. Energy analysts say the unusual trade pattern reflects pricing disparities between local and international markets. Data presented at a recent industry webinar showed that Dangote-origin products […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":33533,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3699,2096,4,458,3],"tags":[2067,10291,19617,19631,19625,19620,19618,19628,19619,19633],"class_list":["post-33529","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-africa","category-economics","category-featured","category-legal","category-naija-news","tag-dangote-refinery","tag-energy-markets","tag-fuel-imports","tag-fuel-subsidy-debate","tag-global-oil-disruptions","tag-jet-fuel-exports","tag-lome-hub","tag-petroleum-marketers","tag-petroleum-pricing","tag-west-africa-trade"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.funminews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/DANGOTE-REFINERY-1.jpg?fit=1280%2C720&ssl=1","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.funminews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33529","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.funminews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.funminews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.funminews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/11"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.funminews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=33529"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.funminews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33529\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":33549,"href":"https:\/\/www.funminews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33529\/revisions\/33549"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.funminews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/33533"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.funminews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=33529"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.funminews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=33529"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.funminews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=33529"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}