Dangote Refinery debunks shutdown claims, says 50m litres PMS daily still on stream

Dangote Petroleum Refinery has firmly dismissed reports suggesting it is shutting down operations for maintenance, describing the claims as false, misleading and deliberately crafted to misinform the public.

In a statement issued on Monday, the refinery said production remains stable and uninterrupted, with the capacity to supply between 40 million and 50 million litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) daily through January and February, subject only to market demand.

According to the statement, the refinery produced 50 million litres of PMS on January 4 and evacuated over 48 million litres via its gantry the same day, with current stock levels sufficient to cover more than 20 days of national consumption.

“Dangote Petroleum Refinery continues to operate at scale. There is no shutdown. Our production is steady and our capacity to supply PMS to the domestic market remains robust,” the refinery said.

It clarified that routine maintenance on specific units, including the Crude Distillation Unit (CDU) and Residual Fluid Catalytic Cracking (RFCC), does not disrupt overall output due to the refinery’s integrated and sophisticated design. Other critical units such as the Naphtha Hydrotreater, CCR Reformer and Hydrocracker remain fully operational, producing PMS, Automotive Gas Oil (diesel) and Jet A-1.

The refinery noted that from December 16, 2025 to date, it has consistently loaded between 31 million and 48 million litres of PMS daily from its gantry, in line with market demand. These figures, it said, are verifiable through depot loading records maintained by the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA).

Dangote Refinery also reaffirmed its ex-gantry price of N699 per litre for PMS, available to all marketers and bulk consumers, urging filling stations and large-scale users to patronise locally refined products rather than imported fuel.

“By sourcing PMS locally at N699 per litre, marketers can pass on price relief to consumers, stabilise the market, conserve foreign exchange and support Nigeria’s economic recovery and energy security,” the statement said.

The refinery accused fuel importers of spreading false reports to justify what it described as unwarranted increases in pump prices, warning that such actions undermine national interest and deepen hardship for Nigerians.

It added that without domestic refining, petrol prices could rise to as much as N1,400 per litre in a post-subsidy environment, stressing that Dangote Refinery has become a critical stabilising force in the downstream petroleum market.

Reiterating its commitment to energy security and economic growth, the refinery urged stakeholders and the public to disregard misinformation and rely on verified information.

“Dangote Petroleum Refinery will continue to act in the national interest by supplying high-quality, locally refined petroleum products while supporting Nigeria’s energy independence and industrial development,” it said.