Nigeria, Africa’s top crude producer, has ramped up imports of U.S. WTI crude to supply the Dangote Refinery, which has a 650,000 barrels-per-day capacity. Bloomberg data shows about one-third of the refinery’s crude now comes from the U.S., nearly double since 2024. Analysts cite strategic and operational reasons, including WTI’s high gasoline yield, limited OPEC supply growth, and reduced Asian demand due to U.S.-China trade tensions, making more American crude available to West Africa.
The Dangote Refinery has increased its intake of U.S. WTI crude due to a decline in Nigerian crude availability, with U.S. supply expected to dominate imports by June. Since beginning fuel production in 2024, the refinery has ramped up operations, aligning with the use of WTI Midland—a high-yield, stable crude grade. Traders expect the refinery to import 14 million barrels of WTI Midland this summer, mainly supplied by Vitol Group.In recognition of President Bola Tinubu’s support, Aliko Dangote named the refinery’s main access road after him.
The newly commissioned Bola Ahmed Tinubu Road connects key infrastructure, including the Deep-Sea Port and Fertilizer Plant, and is part of a broader network linking Nigeria to Chad, Cameroon, and major highways.Crude oil posted its first weekly gain in three weeks, rising $1 to $64 per barrel, driven by a strong U.S. jobs report and renewed U.S.-China trade talks. Market optimism and limited output increases from OPEC members supported the price rise. While nine quota-bound OPEC countries raised production slightly, Libya boosted output to a 13-year high, bringing total OPEC production in May to 27.54 million barrels per day, up 200,000 from April.
