Top 3 Performing Refineries in Nigeria After Dangote Refinery
- Nigerian modular refineries joined Dangote refinery to produce petrol for Nigerian consumptions
- Waltersmith, Edo, and ARADEL accounted for at least 2.4% of Nigeria’s estimated daily diesel demand
- Dangote Refinery continue to lead the way with daily output raised to 32.012 million litres in December
Legit.ng journalist Dave Ibemere has over a decade of experience in business journalism, with in-depth knowledge of the Nigerian economy, stocks, and general market trends.
Nigeria’s modular refining sector continues to contribute to the country’s energy needs. The latest data from the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), released on Saturday, January 17, showed that only three modular refineries Waltersmith, Edo, and ARADEL produced automotive gas oil (AGO) in December 2025.
The three plants supplied a combined 0.392 million litres of AGO per day, accounting for 100% of modular refinery diesel output during the period.
Source: Getty Images
Details of Nigerian refineries and their performance
ARADEL Modular Refinery
ARADEL is located in Ogbele, Rivers State, and operated by Aradel Energy. The refinery has an installed capacity of 11,000 barrels per day.
Despite a 53.89% capacity utilisation, it emerged as the dominant modular diesel producer, supplying 0.289 million litres of AGO daily, over 70% of total modular output.
Edo Modular Refinery (EMR)
EMR, in Ologbo, Edo state, has a 6,000-barrel-per-day capacity.
The refinery recorded the highest utilisation rate among modular plants at 85.43 percent, delivering 0.052 million litres of AGO per day. Its small size, however, limited its overall contribution.
Waltersmith Modular Refinery
Operating in Ibigwe, Imo State, Waltersmith has a 5,000-barrel-per-day capacity. With only Train 1 operational in December, the refinery produced 0.051 million litres of AGO per day, recording a 63.24% utilisation rate, Petroleumprice reports.
Production was limited to 13 days due to the ongoing commissioning of Train 2.
Combined, the three refineries supplied 0.392 million litres of AGO daily, representing just 2.4% of Nigeria’s estimated 16.4 million litres per day diesel consumption.
Analysts say that without capacity expansion and broader commissioning, modular refineries will remain marginal players in stabilising Nigeria’s diesel supply.
Source: Getty Images
Dangote refinery game changer
Dangote Refinery’s production surged by nearly 65% in December 2025.
Data from the NMDPRA in the December 2025 factsheet shows that the refinery’s domestic supply of petrol (PMS) rose from 19.47 million litres per day (ml/d) in November 2025 to an average of 32.012 ml/d in December, nearing its initial target of 50 ml/d for the month.
The increase was linked to higher capacity utilisation at the privately owned facility, which reached a peak of 71% during December.
This boosted overall petrol availability in the country, raising Nigeria’s total daily PMS supply to 74.2 million litres, up from 71.5 million litres per day recorded in November.
Depots slash fuel prices
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that the prices of petroleum products at private depots across the country has droppe, intensifying competition with the Dangote Refinery.
Read also
NMDPRA data shows Nigeria imported over 1 billion litres of petrol despite Dangote’s supply
For diesel, operators including MAO, MENJ, TMDK, and DUPORT are now selling at N958 per litre, a 3% reduction from N985 last week
The new price is also slightly lower than Dangote Refinery’s ex-depot price of N960 per litre.
Proofreading by James Ojo, copy editor at Legit.ng.
Source: Legit.ng
