By Fatima Mukhtar
The Dangote Refinery has dismissed reports alleging that it imports or produces petrol and diesel with excessive sulphur content, insisting that its products meet both local and international environmental standards.
In a statement on Friday, the company described the claims of importing “dirty fuel” as false and malicious, aimed at discrediting Nigeria’s first indigenous refinery. Dangote Industries explained that its refined diesel is of high quality and “80 percent cleaner” than the imported variants that have dominated the Nigerian market for years.
The company argued that some fuel importers were obtaining “dubious certifications” to disguise substandard, high-sulphur diesel as compliant products. “We produce to global standards and have never imported or released high-sulphur fuel into Nigeria,” a Dangote official stated.
The controversy erupted after the Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers Association of Nigeria (DAPPMAN) denied claims that its members import substandard fuel, alleging instead that some blends of diesel from the Dangote Refinery contained sulphur levels as high as 1,200 parts per million (ppm) — far above the 50 ppm limit recommended by ECOWAS.
However, the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) also debunked the allegations of dirty fuel imports, confirming that all imported petroleum products currently meet the statutory limit of 50 ppm.
The agency clarified that Nigeria is currently transitioning to stricter environmental standards, with full enforcement of the 50 ppm sulphur limit expected by the end of 2024.
Industry analysts say the controversy reflects rising tensions between the new local refinery and long-established importers, as the country moves toward self-sufficiency in refined products.
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