Dangote Refinery is facing refining capacity challenges following the prolonged shutdown of its Residual Fluid Catalytic Cracker (RFCC). The outage has forced the $20 billion plant to import gasoline in January to sustain operations and ramp up production amid reduced internal conversion capacity, according to global commodities intelligence firm Kpler.
The refinery has adjusted its crude strategy to cope with the RFCC downtime. Kpler reported that Dangote Refinery, which has a 650,000-barrel-per-day capacity, has been processing lighter crude with gravity of 37–39 since late 2025 to keep other units operational while its 200,000-barrel-per-day RFCC remains offline.
Imports of gasoline blending components have surged. The refinery reportedly imported around 45,000 barrels per day to support domestic supply, helping stabilize fuel availability despite constrained refining capabilities. Kpler noted that operational uncertainty remains, with the duration of RFCC downtime unclear and ramp-up uneven.
Dangote Refinery has not issued an official statement on the RFCC shutdown. However, CEO David Bird recently reassured journalists in Lagos of the plant’s commitment to ensuring stable fuel supply and price stability in Nigeria’s downstream sector.
Aliko Dangote has taken steps to support fuel affordability. In December, the Dangote Group President directed the sale of the refinery’s petrol at N739 per liter across MRS filling stations nationwide, signaling efforts to maintain market stability amid operational constraints.
