The Dangote Petroleum Refinery has officially commenced petrol production at its facility in Lagos State, marking a significant milestone for the country’s energy sector.

The announcement was made on Monday by Devakumar Edwin, the Vice President of Oil and Gas at Dangote Industries Limited, during an interview on the Brekete Family show.

Edwin revealed that petrol production at the refinery began on Sunday, signalling the completion of one of the refinery’s key phases.

He added that while the company is prepared to meet domestic demand, there is a possibility that the petrol may be exported if local traders or the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) do not purchase the product.

The refinery, which had already been producing aviation fuel, kerosene, and diesel, encountered challenges in distributing these products within Nigeria due to what Edwin described as a “blockade” by traders.

If similar issues arise with petrol, Dangote Refinery will be forced to export the fuel to other markets.

“We’ve been exporting aviation fuel, producing kerosene, and manufacturing diesel, but yesterday, we moved to the final stage by starting the production of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), commonly known as petrol,” Edwin said.

“The only thing left now is to start producing petrochemicals, which will happen soon.”

Edwin emphasised that Dangote Refinery is ready to supply as much petrol as the country needs. However, if the NNPCL or local traders continue to delay or block the lifting of products, the company will have no choice but to export the petrol, as they are already doing with jet fuel and diesel.

“While we are prepared to pump as much petrol as possible into the Nigerian market, if there’s no uptake from traders or the NNPC, we will export the product just like we’ve been doing with aviation fuel and diesel,” he explained.

This development is seen as a potential game-changer for Nigeria’s fuel supply, as the Dangote Refinery has the capacity to significantly reduce the country’s dependence on imported fuel.

However, the refinery’s readiness to export fuel if local consumption is not prioritised raises questions about the domestic distribution network and the role of traders and government agencies in ensuring a smooth flow of products within the country.