Ghana has pledged to import petroleum products from Nigeria’s Dangote Petroleum Refinery in Lagos, citing the limited capacity of its own refineries.
- Ghana has announced a plan to import petroleum products from Nigeria’s Dangote Petroleum Refinery, fostering increased intra-African energy trade.
- The Dangote Refinery, Africa’s largest with a 650,000 barrels-per-day capacity, has sufficient abilities to meet both Nigeria’s needs and exports to neighboring countries.
- Ghana’s domestic refining capacity remains constrained, relying on imports to meet demand, and the partnership with Dangote Refinery addresses this gap.
- Uniform regulations and stable macroeconomic conditions are essential for successful trade between African nations, according to officials from Ghana and Nigeria.
Africa’s largest oil refinery, with a processing capacity of 650,000 barrels per day (bpd), is set to transform Nigeria’s downstream energy sector, with enough output to meet domestic fuel demand while supplying neighbouring West African markets.
Speaking at the Nigerian International Energy Summit (NIES) in Abuja, Godwin Kudzo Tameklo, Chief Executive Officer of Ghana’s National Petroleum Authority, said Ghana’s domestic refining capacity remains limited.
“In Ghana, we operate two major refineries and a modular refinery of about 5,000 to 6,000 barrels per day, which is quite small,” Tameklo said.
“When you talk about 6,000 barrels per day in the Nigerian context it is insignificant, but in Ghana it is considered a sizeable refinery. We have always relied on imports, both crude oil and refined products. Ghana therefore represents a strong offtake market for the Dangote Refinery.” He added.
Ghana’s crude production and import needs
Ghana produces crude offshore from the Jubilee and Tweneboa‑Enyenra‑Ntomme (TEN) fields, but domestic refining remains constrained.
This has made imports essential, with Dangote Refinery supplying around 27,000 bpd of refined fuel in 2025.
Tameklo noted that Ghana may also source crude and refined products from other African producers or international markets depending on pricing and supply considerations.
Ghana’s only major domestic refinery, the Tema Oil Refinery (TOR), which has a designed capacity of 45,000 bpd, resumed operations in late 2025 after being largely inoperative since April 2021.
TOR is now processing roughly 28,000 bpd following maintenance on its crude distillation unit. Smaller private refineries in Ghana operate at limited capacities and cannot meet national demand independently.
Importance of regulation and macroeconomic stability
Tameklo said Ghana and Dangote Petroleum have already begun discussions to foster a sustainable commercial relationship. He highlighted the importance of uniform regulation and macroeconomic stability across Africa, stressing that exchange-rate volatility could affect the benefits of cross-border energy trade.
“We are doing everything possible to build that relationship. However, for this to succeed, there must be uniform regulation and stable economic performance,” Tameklo said. “If the Ghanaian cedi is performing well while the naira is under pressure, it will limit the economic benefits for our people.” he said.
Meanwhile, Dangote Group’s Group Vice President for Oil and Gas, Devakumar Edwin, said the refinery is operating at about 85% of its installed capacity, producing both Premium Motor Spirit (petrol) and Automotive Gas Oil (diesel).
“Nigeria requires only about 50% of our production capacity to meet domestic demand. This leaves significant volumes available for export, and with planned expansions, export volumes will increase further,” he said.
Edwin noted that the facility recently received its second crude shipment from Ghana’s Sankofa field, marking a step in diversifying feedstock sources.
“This represents a major turnaround for Nigeria, which for decades relied almost entirely on imported refined petroleum products,” he said.
With daily output recently hitting 70 million litres, 45 million litres of petrol and 25 million litres of diesel, the Dangote Refinery now surpasses Nigeria’s domestic requirements, positioning it to supply refined products across the continent.
Tameklo added that Ghana will continue to provide a ready market for Nigerian refined products while regulators focus on ensuring affordable, high-quality fuel for consumers.
