Refinery delays contribute to Abuja’s fuel challenge
Nigeria’s downstream status quo changed forever with the end of fuel subsidies, but the flagship Dangote refinery has still yet to start operations
May was a critical month for Nigeria, with the election of President Bola Tinubu and the official inauguration of the mammoth Dangote refinery near Lagos. But while months later the refinery has yet to begin operations, government reforms have already turned the country’s downstream sector upside down. There has been a persistent lack of clear information emerging from the 650,000b/d refinery project. Prior reports of Dangote starting operations have "always been a bit exaggerated”, said Andon Pavlov, lead analyst for dirty products and refining at data analytics firm Kpler, adding that “we currently anticipate a gradual launch towards the end of Q1 or early Q2 [next year], with a lot of qu
Also in this section
13 March 2026
Brussels is again weighing a cap on gas prices amid the Hormuz crisis, but the measure could backfire by deterring the LNG cargoes Europe urgently needs
12 March 2026
Emergency oil stocks provide a last line of defence to oil market shocks, so the IEA’s unprecedented 400m bl release represents something of a double-edged sword
12 March 2026
LPG could rapidly expand access to clean cooking across Africa and prevent hundreds of thousands of deaths from indoor air pollution each year, but infrastructure shortages and regulatory barriers are slowing investment and market growth
11 March 2026
Missiles over Dubai and disruption in Hormuz are testing the emirate’s reputation—and shaking the energy hub at the centre of the Gulf economy






