Nigeria ships N105 billion worth of petroleum to Togo over a quarter-year period

Nigeria's petrol exports to Togo reached a staggering N105.5bn in the first quarter of 2026, a significant development in the country's downstream petroleum sector, which has long relied on imported fuel due to inadequate refining capacity.

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This figure, as revealed in the National Bureau of Statistics Foreign Trade Statistics Report for the first quarter of 2026, underscores the growing importance of Nigeria as a regional supplier of refined petroleum products.

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In recent years, Nigeria has imported substantial amounts of petroleum oils from Togo, with approximately $117m worth of imports in 2023 and $72–77m in 2024, highlighting the country's historical dependence on foreign fuel sources.

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The N105.50bn worth of petrol exported to Togo in the first quarter of 2026 makes it one of the most significant energy commodities shipped from Nigeria to the West African nation, according to the report.

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Other notable petroleum exports to Togo during the period included gas oil, valued at N278.36bn, kerosene-type jet fuel, valued at N273.18bn, crude petroleum oil, amounting to N220.14bn, and partially refined oil, valued at N89.83bn.

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The emergence of petrol as a major export commodity can be attributed to the ramp-up of operations at the Dangote Petroleum Refinery, which has significantly increased the country's refining output and transformed fuel supply dynamics within the sub-region.

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According to an official of S&P Global Commodity Insights, Matthew Tracey-Cook, Nigerian fuel marketers are increasingly importing refined petroleum products originating from the Dangote refinery through the offshore ship-to-ship trading hub in Lomé, Togo.

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Tracey-Cook revealed that Dangote-produced fuel now accounts for the majority of waterborne petroleum products imported into Nigeria, with the company's volumes on a coastal basis arriving back in Lagos from Lomé.

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Over the last six months, Dangote production has become increasingly dominant, with the company's products making up over 70 to 80 per cent of the volumes imported into Nigeria, according to Tracey-Cook.

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Similar trends have emerged in the diesel market, reflecting the refinery's growing influence on fuel movements within the region, with the increasing importance of the Dangote refinery evident from the data.

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The Lomé offshore hub remains a critical component of West Africa's fuel logistics chain, allowing large tankers to discharge cargoes offshore before transferring products to smaller vessels capable of accessing ports across the region.

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As a transshipment hub, Lomé serves an important purpose, given that many ports in West Africa don't have the capacity to take a fully laden medium-range vessel, according to Tracey-Cook.

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The NBS figures suggest that Nigeria is gradually consolidating its position as a regional supplier of refined petroleum products, following decades of fuel import dependence.

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Côte d’Ivoire remained another important destination for Nigerian petroleum exports during the quarter, receiving shipments of crude petroleum oils, gas oil, and ordinary motor spirit, as shown in the report.