Chairman of Dangote Refinery, Aliko Dangote, announced plans to procure crude oil from several African nations following recent imports from the United States and Brazil.
During a facility tour in Lagos on Saturday, Dangote disclosed that the refinery anticipates receiving feedstock from the US and Brazil in the upcoming months.
“We are in discussions to secure additional crude oil from African countries such as Angola, Senegal, and Libya,” stated Dangote, emphasizing their status as oil-producing nations.
Dangote outlined the refinery’s strategy going forward, stating, “We will begin importing crude oil from these African countries next month. Negotiations are ongoing and once finalized, shipments could commence as early as October.”
Despite recent acquisitions of 6 million barrels from the US, expected to arrive by August, and further imports slated from Brazil, Dangote highlighted the challenges of sourcing crude domestically in Nigeria. “If crude availability improves locally, reliance on imports from other countries would diminish,” he remarked.
Regarding the refinery’s operational timeline, Dangote confirmed plans to start supplying petrol to local markets this month, with production expected to start between July 10 and 15, followed by distribution from the third week of July.
Dangote Refinery aims to significantly curtail Nigeria’s dependence on imported petroleum products, contributing to the country’s energy independence.
