Aliko Dangote Calls on Retailers to Distribute Fuel, Citing Ample Supply in Tank Farms Amid Nationwide Shortage

According to Aliko Dangote, chairman of the Dangote Group, the current fuel shortage in Nigeria is largely due to retailers' failure to collect and distribute available supplies. Dangote explained that his tank farm holds over 500 million litres of petrol ready for the market, but retailers responsible for collection and distribution have not been picking it up.

The statement was made on Tuesday, following a meeting between President Bola Tinubu and key stakeholders in the oil and gas sector to address the ongoing fuel shortage despite rising fuel prices. Dangote emphasized that although his refinery can produce over 30 million litres of fuel daily, these supplies aren’t reaching Nigerians because he is not involved in retail, and retailers aren’t collecting the product.

“I have enough crude to produce more than 30 million litres per day and meet the estimated demand of around 30 to 32 million litres. We are more than ready, with 500 million litres already in our tanks—enough to sustain the country for over 12 days without any new imports or production,” he told reporters.

When asked about the impact on the average Nigerian who struggles to find petrol despite the vast reserves in his tank farm, Dangote replied, “We are producers, not retailers. My responsibility is to refine the petrol, and if retailers do not come to collect it, there’s little I can do. We have the supply they need; if they come, I will continue to pump. The costs of holding half a billion litres in storage are high, and I am losing money daily."

He noted that he has fulfilled his commitment by ensuring a steady supply, and it is now up to the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) and other marketers to collect and distribute it. “If they come and collect, there will be no queues at filling stations,” he added.