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By Stella Odueme
Dangote Petroleum Refinery is set to restrict petrol supplies to marketers who continue to import Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), in a move aimed at protecting product quality and preventing imported petrol from being blended with its products and sold under its brand.
The proposed restriction could take effect as early as this week, although further consultations with stakeholders and possible intervention could alter the timeline.
Industry sources familiar with the development said the refinery was particularly concerned about reports that some marketers were mixing imported PMS with products purchased from Dangote Refinery before distributing the blended fuel to the market.
The practice, the refinery believes, could undermine quality assurance and make it difficult for consumers and regulators to determine whether products in circulation were supplied solely by Dangote or had been mixed with imported fuel.
A source familiar with the refinery’s position said the company was concerned that its investment in producing high-quality petroleum products could be undermined if its products were mixed with imported fuel of uncertain quality.
“It is difficult to understand why we would invest heavily in producing high-quality petroleum products for Nigerians, only for those products to be mixed with imported products of uncertain quality and the resulting product to be associated with the refinery,” the source said.
The refinery has also expressed concerns over the adequacy of Nigeria’s existing quality-control infrastructure for imported petroleum products.
It is particularly concerned about the availability of standard laboratories capable of independently testing, verifying and certifying the specifications of imported PMS before such products are released into the Nigerian market.
The development comes as Nigeria’s downstream petroleum industry undergoes a major structural shift following the emergence of large-scale domestic refining capacity.
With a nameplate capacity of 700,000 barrels per day, the Dangote refinery has become a major supplier of refined petroleum products in Nigeria while also increasing exports to international markets.
The refinery’s impact on Nigeria’s petroleum trade has been highlighted by the United States Energy Information Administration, which identified the facility as a major factor behind the sharp rise in the country’s seaborne petroleum product exports.
Nigeria’s seaborne petroleum product shipments averaged 561,000 barrels per day in the second quarter of 2026, compared with an annual average of 79,000 barrels per day in 2023.
Beyond petrol and diesel, the refinery has also expanded its international footprint in aviation fuel, with its jet fuel gaining acceptance in overseas markets.
Its jet fuel has reportedly become a major supply source for the European market, placing the Nigerian refinery in direct competition with traditional exporters from the United States and the Middle East.
The proposed move against importing marketers could further reshape competition in Nigeria’s downstream petroleum market, particularly as domestic refiners seek to expand their market share and reduce the country’s reliance on imported refined products.
It is also expected to renew debate over the regulation of petroleum imports, product quality standards, independent laboratory testing and the need to ensure that products sold to Nigerian consumers meet established specifications.
For marketers, the decision could force a strategic choice between continuing with imported PMS and maintaining access to products from Nigeria’s largest refinery, particularly if the proposed supply restriction is implemented.