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
19 January 2026
Newfound optimism is emerging that a dormant exploration frontier could become a strategic energy play and—whisper it quietly—Europe’s next offshore opportunity
16 January 2026
The country’s global energy importance and domestic political fate are interlocked, highlighting its outsized oil and gas powers, and the heightened fallout risk
16 January 2026
The global maritime oil transport sector enters 2026 facing a rare convergence of crude oversupply, record newbuild deliveries and the potential easing of several geopolitical disruptions that have shaped trade flows since 2022
15 January 2026
Rebuilding industry, energy dominance and lower energy costs are key goals that remain at odds in 2026






