Nigeria’s seaborne exports of refined petroleum products have risen seven-fold since 2023, with increased production at the Dangote refinery emerging as a major driver of the growth, the United States Energy Information Administration (EIA) has reported.
According to the agency, Nigeria shipped an average of 561,000 barrels per day (b/d) of petroleum products by sea in the second quarter of 2026, compared with an average of 79,000 b/d in 2023.
Of the total shipments recorded during the quarter, about 350,000 b/d were exported, representing a substantial increase from the 46,000 b/d annual average recorded in 2023.
The EIA said the expansion in Nigeria’s petroleum product exports had increased the country’s role in the international fuel market at a time when supplies from some other regions had been disrupted.
It attributed the development principally to the commencement of operations at the Dangote refinery in January 2024, which has significantly increased Nigeria’s capacity to produce refined petroleum products.
The agency said the growth in domestic refining had simultaneously reduced Nigeria’s reliance on imported fuel and created room for increased exports.
Before the Dangote refinery came on stream, Nigeria’s existing state-owned refineries accounted for less than 100,000 b/d in seaborne petroleum product shipments to domestic and foreign destinations.
The EIA said shipments began rising significantly after the Dangote refinery started operations and recorded another major increase after maintenance and expansion work at the facility was completed in February 2026.
The work increased the refinery’s crude oil distillation capacity from 650,000 b/d to 700,000 b/d.
The EIA noted that the increase in Nigerian shipments also occurred amid disruptions to petroleum product flows through the Strait of Hormuz.
“With higher runs at Dangote and product trade through the Strait of Hormuz disrupted, total shipments of petroleum products (intra-Nigerian and exports) increased,” it said.
Domestic distribution by sea also recorded significant growth during the period.
The EIA said intra-Nigerian shipments climbed to 211,000 b/d in the second quarter of 2026, compared with 81,000 b/d in 2025 and 33,000 b/d in 2023.
It said the increased movement of refined products from the Dangote refinery to other parts of the country helped Nigeria reduce its dependence on imported fuel.
Nigeria imported nearly 400,000 b/d of petroleum products in 2023, but seaborne imports had fallen below 130,000 b/d by the second quarter of 2026.
At the same time, Nigerian petroleum product exports to Europe increased substantially.
Vortexa data cited by the EIA showed that exports to Europe averaged 130,000 b/d in Q2 2026, compared with 40,000 b/d in 2025 and 15,000 b/d in 2023.
Nigeria also increased supplies to other African markets, with exports reaching nearly 120,000 b/d during the second quarter, up from 89,000 b/d in 2025.
The EIA’s figures point to a significant shift in Nigeria’s petroleum market, with the country moving from heavy dependence on imported refined products towards greater domestic supply and a growing position as a supplier to regional and international markets.
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