President and Chief Executive of Dangote Petroleum Refinery, Aliko Dangote, has declared that Nigeria’s five-decade-long struggle with fuel queues has finally come to an end since the refinery began producing petrol a year ago.
Speaking at a conference to mark the first anniversary of the launch of petrol from the 650,000 barrels-per-day refinery, Dangote highlighted that Nigerians have endured persistent fuel queues since 1975.
However, this issue has been steadily resolved since the refinery commenced production on September 3, 2024.
“We have been battling fuel queues since 1975, but today Nigerians are witnessing a new era,” he said.
Acknowledging the numerous challenges the refinery has faced since its inception, Dangote emphasized the company’s unwavering commitment to Nigeria and Africa. “The journey has been challenging because we sought to transform the downstream sector in Nigeria. Some believed we were taking food from their tables, which simply isn’t true. What we have done is to make our country and continent proud,” he added.
Reflecting on the challenges faced during the refinery’s development, Dangote disclosed that the project involved enormous risk, with repeated warnings from industry experts, investors, local and foreign government officials.
He admitted that had the project failed, he would have lost all his assets to lenders. “The decision to build the refinery was not easy. If it had gone wrong, lenders would have taken our assets. But we believed in Nigeria and Africa,” he said.
Despite opposition and economic headwinds, the refinery has successfully reduced the price of petrol from nearly N1,100 before production began to N841 in the Southwest, Abuja, Delta, Rivers, Edo, and Kwara. With the gradual rollout of CNG-powered trucks, Dangote anticipates this price reduction will soon be felt nationwide.
The refinery has sufficient capacity to meet Nigeria’s domestic demand while also generating foreign exchange through exports. Between June and the first week of September 2025, the facility exported over 1.1 billion litres of Premium Motor Spirit, underscoring its capacity to meet domestic demand and contribute significantly to foreign exchange earnings.
Emphasizing job creation, Dangote stated that the refinery has no intention of displacing workers but is instead generating thousands of new employment opportunities.
The deployment of 4,000 CNG-powered trucks is expected to create at least 24,000 jobs across Nigeria. “We have not displaced any jobs; we are creating many more. The CNG trucks will not be operated by robots. Our employees earn salaries three times the minimum wage,” he said, highlighting the benefits and compensation package for drivers and other professionals supporting the CNG fleet.
Dangote reaffirmed his commitment to Nigeria’s industrialization, describing it as essential for the continent’s development.
