UK Investigators Clear Dangote Refinery of Importing Substandard Fuel
By Comfort Chukwukelue
A United Kingdom–based energy watchdog, Impact Investigators Platform (IIP), has dismissed recent allegations that the Dangote Petroleum Refinery imported substandard petrol into Nigeria, describing the claims as “technically inaccurate, commercially implausible, and unsupported by verifiable evidence.”
In an investigative report released on Friday and signed by its lead investigator, Raymond Neil, the IIP said its independent assessment of shipping data, customs declarations, and refinery process documentation found no indication that the refinery imported or sold Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) with sulphur levels above Nigeria’s approved limit of 50 parts per million (ppm).
Neil explained that the IIP launched its investigation following media reports alleging that a vessel had delivered high-sulphur petrol to the refinery under the guise of locally refined products. However, the report clarified that the cargo in question was an intermediate feedstock — a raw material traded among refineries globally for further processing — and not a finished petrol product for retail consumption.
“Our analysis confirms that the shipment being referenced was a blending component, not a finished petrol product,” Neil stated. “It was imported within the context of refinery optimisation and was never intended for direct distribution or public sale. The claim that Dangote Refinery imported dirty fuel into Nigeria is therefore misleading and inconsistent with both technical and commercial realities.”
He emphasized that it is standard global practice for refinery complexes, including those in Europe and Asia, to import intermediate streams such as high-sulphur catalytic gasoline (HSCG) or straight-run naphtha to balance production yields.
“This is normal industry practice and does not imply that substandard or harmful fuel is being sold to consumers,” Neil added.
According to the IIP report, Dangote Refinery’s import documentation and regulatory clearances were in full compliance with the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), which oversee feedstock imports and quality assurance.
The report also highlighted that the refinery operates under a free trade zone licence, meaning all imported materials undergo internal refining before being released into Nigeria’s domestic fuel market.
Neil noted that the review covered laboratory test results, refinery capacity utilisation records, and inspection certificates filed with port authorities in both the UK and Nigeria. None of the reviewed documents, he said, supported the claim that the refinery imported petrol ready for local consumption.
“The sulphur levels cited in the reports were associated with intermediate-grade gasoline used as a processing input, not finished fuel. To suggest otherwise is to misunderstand how refineries work,” he clarified. “The Dangote complex is designed to upgrade such feedstocks into ultra-low-sulphur petrol through hydrodesulphurisation and other advanced refining processes.”
Neil cautioned that misreporting technical details could undermine public confidence in the refinery at a time when Nigeria is striving to enhance domestic refining capacity and reduce dependence on fuel imports.
“The Dangote project remains a strategic national asset. Public debate around it must be grounded in fact, not conjecture,” he said.
The IIP further urged Nigerian authorities to create a rapid-response mechanism for verifying refinery operations and product quality claims to curb the spread of misinformation.
“Transparency is key,” Neil said. “But transparency also requires responsible reporting and technical understanding of what the data means.”
Commending the refinery’s proactive compliance culture, the report noted that Dangote’s internal audit systems align with standards of the European Refining Association and the American Petroleum Institute.
“Every product stream leaving the Dangote Refinery is accompanied by a certificate of quality issued by an ISO-certified laboratory,” Neil stated. “We also verified that these certificates are regularly submitted to NMDPRA before any local dispatch. This is the kind of governance structure that should be encouraged, not vilified.”
The IIP reaffirmed its readiness to share its findings with relevant Nigerian institutions and civil society organisations to promote evidence-based discourse on the refinery’s operations.
“The energy transition requires accuracy, not alarmism,” Neil concluded. “Our findings clear the Dangote Refinery of the claims of importing dirty fuel. What we found instead is a refinery engaged in legitimate global trade practice, subject to regulation, and committed to delivering cleaner fuels that meet international standards.”
