Dangote Exposes Corruption in Nigeria’s Petrol Data: Claims Real Consumption Far Lower

Africa’s richest man and President of the Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, has raised serious concerns over Nigeria’s petrol consumption data, alleging massive corruption in the petroleum industry. According to iReporter Online, Dangote claimed that the figures presented by regulatory agencies were deliberately exaggerated for personal gain, particularly during the subsidy regime.

Dangote, while hosting a delegation from Global CEO Africa at his refinery, said Nigeria’s actual daily petrol usage is about 33 million litres—not the 45 to 66 million litres cited by the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA). He described the manipulation of consumption data as one of the many corrupt practices that plagued the sector, warning that inflated statistics have become a cover for fuel smuggling and profiteering.

According to iReporter Online, Dangote revealed that his refinery produces over 104 million litres of refined petroleum products daily, with 58 million litres earmarked for export. He noted that local needs could be met with 46 million litres covering petrol, diesel, and aviation fuel, based on his group’s independent estimates. He dismissed the official consumption figures as inflated and not reflective of the true volume required by the country, insisting Nigeria lacks the number of vehicles to support such high demand.

Despite pushback from the NMDPRA, which argued that fuel usage fluctuates seasonally and had previously spiked to 66 million litres daily before the subsidy removal, Dangote stood firm. He stressed that past bloated claims of 90 million litres per day were unrealistic and a product of corrupt schemes that thrived under the fuel subsidy regime.

Speaking further, Dangote described the oil business in Nigeria as “messy” and dominated by a “mafia” that is even stronger than the global narcotics trade. According to iReporter Online, he said his group initially avoided entering the petroleum sector due to its notorious reputation for corruption, but eventually chose to invest in refining to help Africa break its dependency on imported fuel.

Industry stakeholders echoed Dangote’s sentiment. The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) acknowledged the prevalence of corruption and backed local refining as a solution. They affirmed that the deregulation and adoption of alternative fuels like Compressed Natural Gas had significantly cut petrol consumption, possibly down to 40 million litres per day.

Meanwhile, the Crude Oil Refineries Association of Nigeria (CORAN) called for an independent study to ascertain Nigeria’s true consumption, noting that porous borders and smuggling have continued to cloud the data. CORAN’s spokesperson highlighted the need for intervention by neutral institutions like the National Bureau of Statistics to resolve the ongoing discrepancies.

This is not the first time Dangote has clashed with NMDPRA. He previously accused the authority of issuing licenses for the importation of substandard fuel and undermining locally refined products. In response, NMDPRA challenged the quality of Dangote’s diesel output, claiming it contained higher sulphur levels than imported equivalents.

Still, Dangote defended his product’s quality and urged the regulator to conduct transparent lab testing to settle the issue. He accused the regulatory body of bias and attempting to demarket Nigerian refiners. He reaffirmed his commitment to ending fuel imports, saying his refinery holds enough stock to satisfy national demand and export surplus quantities.

According to iReporter Online, Dangote emphasized that Nigeria’s economic future depends on local production, transparency, and shutting down the networks that have turned the oil sector into a cash cow for profiteers.