DANGOTE REFINERY BREAKS THROUGH 700,000 BARRELS PER DAY — TARGETS 1.4 MILLION BPD BY 2028

Performance test confirms capacity above nameplate; world's largest jet fuel exporter in April; expansion groundwork underway

 Dangote Petroleum Refinery has increased its crude oil processing capacity to 700,000 barrels per day following a successful performance test conducted by its process licensors, surpassing its original design capacity of 650,000 barrels per day and cementing its position as the world's largest single-train petroleum refinery by operating volume.

The Lekki-based refinery confirmed the milestone in a statement, noting that the new output level follows ongoing optimisation work across its production systems. Vice President of Oil and Gas at Dangote Industries Limited Devakumar Edwin described the ramp-up as part of the facility's broader ambition to more than double its capacity within 30 months.

"The expansion will boost Nigeria's energy self-sufficiency, eliminate dependence on imported petroleum products, and position the country as a major regional export hub," Edwin said. The refinery has already been exporting refined products to the United Kingdom, France, Spain, Italy, the Netherlands, the United States, and Saudi Arabia — and in April was confirmed by S&P Global Commodities as the world's largest exporter of jet fuel.

Construction has now commenced on a second crude processing unit that will add a further 700,000 barrels per day of capacity — part of the $10 billion expansion programme at the Lekki complex. The combined 1.4 million bpd target would surpass India's Jamnagar refinery and position the facility as the largest in the world.

The capacity increase arrives as petrol pump prices in Lagos have fallen to between ₦1,272 and ₦1,295 per litre following Dangote's latest gantry price reduction, and as imported petrol landing costs fell to ₦1,117 per litre — below the refinery's current gantry price, creating competitive pressure from the import market.