The Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals is weighing a decisive policy shift to restrict the sale of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) to major oil marketers that continue to import petrol into the country.
​According to industry sources speaking on Sunday, August 30, 2026, the proposed measure could take effect as early as this week, pending final consultations and potential stakeholder interventions.
The development brings to light simmering tensions within Nigeria’s downstream petroleum sector as the country navigates its transition from decades of total import dependence to robust domestic refining.
​The contemplation to cut off import-dependent marketers stems primarily from severe anxieties regarding product quality control, market transparency, and the protection of the Dangote brand.
Insiders revealed that the 700,000 barrels-per-day facility is deeply troubled by practices where certain third-party operators blend substandard imported petrol with high-grade fuel purchased directly from the Dangote Refinery.
​”It is difficult to understand why we would invest heavily in producing high-quality petroleum products for Nigerians, only for those products to be mixed with imported products of uncertain quality and the resulting product to be associated with the refinery,” a top source close to management noted.
​Furthermore, the mega-refinery has expressed reservations regarding regulatory oversight, specifically pointing to perceived shortcomings in laboratory and quality-assurance infrastructure needed to independently verify and certify the specifications of foreign petroleum products entering the Nigerian market.
Executives fear that compromised or blended fuels sold across retail outlets could be misattributed to the Dangote brand, eroding consumer trust.
​The policy discussion follows a sharp, documented spike in national petrol imports over the summer months. Economic policy briefs from organizations like the Centre for the Promotion of Private Enterprise (CPPE), released in Lagos, indicated that average daily PMS imports climbed steeply from 5.9 million litres in May to 18.1 million litres in June, before hitting 19.7 million litres in July.
​Domestic refining advocates argue that continuous, unregulated importation runs counter to national energy security goals, especially when local infrastructure operates at high capacity.
While international bodies such as the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) have recently spotlighted Dangote’s role in catapulting Nigeria’s seaborne product exports, local friction remains high over import licensing frameworks administered by the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA).
​As consultations continue at the refinery’s corporate headquarters in Lagos, downstream operators anticipate that the impending decision will force major marketers to reevaluate their import schedules and lean more heavily on domestic off-take agreements.
