Dangote Refinery Denies Claims of Fuel Re-import Through Lomé

The Dangote Petroleum Refinery has issued a strong denial of allegations that its exported petroleum products are being reimported into Nigeria through a trading hub in Lomé, Togo. The company described the claims as baseless and lacking commercial logic in a statement released on Tuesday, June 23.

The allegations, which reportedly originated from an analyst during an industry webinar last week, suggested that a significant portion of Nigeria's recent fuel imports originated from Dangote's own coastal shipments. The refinery's management refuted this, arguing that such a practice would contradict its core business objectives and established compliance procedures.

The company outlined several reasons for its position. It stated that its sales contracts explicitly prohibit the resale or reimportation of its products into Nigeria. Economically, the refinery argued the alleged trade route is unviable, estimating that the logistics cost of moving products to Lomé and back would be between $82 and $90 per metric ton, significantly eroding profit margins. The company said it does not offer export discounts large enough to offset these costs and create a profitable arbitrage opportunity.