Dangote Group, through the Dangote Petroleum Refinery, emerged as the world’s largest supplier (exporter) of aviation (jet) fuel in April, as disclosed in a recent S&P Global Energy report which featured comments from the refinery’s chief executive officer, CEO David Bird, during an interview held at the Nigerian plant.
The refinery has become one of the fastest-growing and a major alternative supplier to Europe and parts of the US. Its exports surged because of global fuel trade flow disruptions that are happening in the Middle East and Strait of Hormuz. Due to the conflicts, global supply patterns increased demand for alternative aviation fuel suppliers and routes. This is how and where Dangote Refinery stepped in to become one of the major beneficiaries of the disruption. the
Although the refinery’s aviation fuel exports have exploded between 2024 and 2026, according to Kpler shipment data, which shows that the jet fuel exports rose from about 18,000 barrels per day in April 2024 to roughly 158,000 barrels per day by April 2026. That’s about a 770% increase in two years. Business Insider Africa also reported that the refinery exported around 57 million barrels of jet fuel within two years.
The S&P Global Energy report explained that the increased global demand for aviation fuel caused by the instability in the Middle East made the Dangote Refinery focus heavily on jet fuel production. Europe, the UK, and the US started scrambling for alternative fuel suppliers after the traditional supply chains had been disrupted. The Nigerian cargoes, driven almost entirely by the Dangote Refinery, made up 20% of Europe’s jet fuel imports in April 2026—up from just 4% a year earlier.
According to the shipping data tracked by S&P Global Commodities at Sea, Dangote Refinery emerged as the world’s largest single exporter of the jet fuel in April 2026. The UK also reportedly leaned on Dangote supplies to avoid airline disruptions during the jet fuel crunch. In fact, the refinery has now reached its full processing capacity of around 650,000 barrels per day after gradually increasing operations over time.
To maximise fuel production, the plant has been using a flexible blending strategy that combines imported materials such as GTL naphtha and Bonny condensate to boost gasoline output beyond its normal setup. The CEO, David Bird, said maintaining such high production levels will require more advanced trading systems, stronger logistics planning, and a more dependable supply chain, especially as the refinery expands operations beyond relying mainly on local crude supplies.
The refinery is expanding the range of crude oil it can process instead of depending mainly on Nigeria’s light sweet crude. The facility can already refine about 40 different crude grades, including heavier blends and residue-based feedstocks. There are also plans to expand that refinery's capacity further over time.
CEO David Bird said the company hopes to eventually raise production capacity to about 1.4 million barrels per day, a target that would require additional crude supplies from regions such as the United States, the Middle East, and possibly South America. The expansion will give the refinery greater flexibility in sourcing crude from different parts of the world and strengthen its position in the global energy trading market.
He explained that the refinery is also working toward long-term supply and sales agreements with governments, airlines, and national oil companies as it reduces dependence on short-term spot-market transactions. Bird added that the company’s broader ambition is to match globally recognised refining hubs like Singapore’s Pulau Bukom refinery, which processes more than 100 crude grades.
Beyond refining operations, the company is investing in regional infrastructure projects, including storage and logistics facilities in parts of Africa, while also pursuing plans to turn the Lekki Free Zone into a major industrial and export hub centred on refining, petrochemicals, and integrated logistics.
For decades, Nigeria exported crude oil but imported refined fuel. However, the story is changing with the Dangote Refinery; Nigeria is now exporting aviation fuel to Europe and the US, and foreign airlines are buying Nigerian-refined jet fuel. This shift is not only positioning Nigeria as an oil-producing country; it's also making it a refining hub.
If the momentum continues, it could strengthen the naira through export earnings, reduce Africa’s dependence on imported aviation fuel, increase Nigeria’s geopolitical influence in energy markets, and attract more shipping and logistics business into Lagos and West Africa.
Despite all these, there are complaints from local airlines that jet fuel is still expensive domestically. In fact, the federal government assigned the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) in April to implement a price cap and a 30-day credit window for airlines to ease operating costs. The agency introduced a benchmark pricing that placed Jet A1 fuel between N1,760 and N1,988 per litre in Lagos and N1,809 and N2,037 per litre in Abuja.
In addition to easing operating costs for airlines and fuel marketers, Dangote Petroleum Refinery lowered the ex-depot price of Jet A1 aviation fuel from N1,750 to N1,650 per litre in May. The company also introduced a 30-day interest-free credit arrangement that allows marketers and airline operators to obtain fuel supplies and make payments later without additional financing charges.
The refinery further revealed that it had stopped pricing Jet A1 fuel in US dollars and switched to naira-based transactions instead. The decision was made to shield local airlines from constant exchange rate swings and to make the aviation fuel prices more stable and easier to predict within the domestic market.
In conclusion, the Dangote Refinery interventions, such as the reduction of the ex-depot price of aviation fuel and the change of Jet A1 transactions from a dollar-based pricing structure to naira-denominated sales, are for the purpose of improving cash flow for operators, supporting more stable fuel availability in the aviation sector and alleviating the pressure on operators who previously faced challenges with increasing costs due to dollar-denominated fuel purchases.
