The management of Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals has expressed concern over the spread of what it described as false and misleading reports alleging that its petroleum products are exported to Lomé and later re-imported into Nigeria.

The company said in a statement that while it does not usually respond to baseless allegations, it deemed it necessary to address the claims in the interest of transparency and to clarify the facts.

“Management considers it necessary to address this deliberate misinformation.

“Management states unequivocally that the allegation is not supported by verifiable trade data, commercial logic, or the operational realities of Dangote Refinery,” the refinery stated.

According to the statement, one of the refinery’s key objectives is to strengthen domestic fuel supply and maintain its position as a leading supplier of petroleum products in Nigeria.

“Any practice that enables imports to compete directly with its own production clearly contradicts this objective.

“Accordingly, Management confirms that all sales contracts and tender agreements expressly prohibit the resale or re-importation of Dangote Refinery products into Nigeria,” the company added.

Furthermore, the refinery’s management stressed that the economics underlying the alleged trade route do not hold up, describing the claim as commercially and logistically unsound.

“Estimated logistics costs for transporting products from the refinery to Lomé and back into Nigeria range between US$82–90 per metric ton, ” it noted.

The refinery explained that the extra costs associated with such a transaction would substantially reduce profit margins, making the arrangement economically impractical and commercially unfeasible.

“Dangote Refinery does not provide export discounts sufficient to offset these costs or create arbitrage opportunities between export and domestic markets. Simply put, no rational producer would incur additional shipping, storage, financing, and handling costs only for products to re-enter and compete in its primary market.

“Management also highlights that the refinery maintains stringent product traceability protocols, including detailed records of lifting points, nominated vessels, counterparties, and declared destinations. These measures ensure full visibility and accountability across the supply chain,” the company noted.

The statement maintained that any suggestion that the refinery supports or permits the re-importation of its products is contrary to its contractual protections and well-established compliance procedures.

“Management underscores that encouraging or enabling re-importation would undermine local refining efforts, strain foreign exchange reserves, and weaken national industrial growth, positions that are contrary to its core objectives,”it stated.

The company reiterated that there is no strategic, commercial, or operational justification for claims that Dangote Refinery exports petroleum products only for them to be re-imported into Nigeria.