Concerns have begun to emerge in Nigeria’s energy sector as reports revealed that the Dangote Refinery’s U.S. crude imports have continued to surge in 2025.
A report by Bloomberg revealed that it tracked Dangote Refinery’s ships and discovered that the 650,000 barrels per day (bpd) turned to the U.S. crude oil market in 2025, sourcing West Texas Intermediate (WTI) Midland crude.
According to the report, the Dangote Refinery’s U.S. crude sourcing, which began in 2024, has continued to grow, with the facility importing a third of its crude from the West Texas Intermediate (WTI) Midland.
The report also revealed that in June and July 2025 alone, the refinery is set to receive 14 million barrels of WTI Midland, with trading giant Vitol Group as the primary supplier.
This has raised concerns as Nigeria is currently Africa’s largest oil producer, with some analysts suggesting that the development is an indication of potential gaps in local supply chains.
Some have also opined that the development is an indication of challenges in the country’s upstream sector, including underinvestment, theft, and operational inefficiencies.
Pan-Atlantic Kompass reports that this comes as Aliko Dangote, Africa’s richest man, has been vocal about the hurdles his refinery is facing to obtain sufficient domestic crude.
Dangote had accused international oil companies (IOCs) of deliberately hiking local crude prices to frustrate the refinery’s operations.
Reports had also suggested that the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) has struggled to meet the refinery’s demand of 550,000 barrels per day, with reports indicating it could only supply 350,000 barrels daily.
It was gathered that this shortfall has forced the Dangote Refinery to import U.S. crude to bridge the gap, raising concerns about Nigeria’s ability to leverage its vast oil reserves for domestic refining.
