Nigeria has imported crude oil from Libya for the first time, with the Dangote Petroleum Refinery receiving about two million barrels during May 2026 as it continues to diversify its crude supply sources.
According to industry data, the refinery imported an average of 64,500 barrels of Libyan crude per day throughout the month, marking the first recorded shipment of its kind between the two countries since records dating back to 2013.
The development comes as local refiners continue to face challenges securing adequate domestic crude supplies, despite Nigeria remaining one of Africa’s largest crude oil producers. As a result, refiners have increasingly turned to international markets to meet their feedstock requirements.
Although reports in 2024 suggested discussions over crude supply between the Dangote Refinery and Libyan authorities, those claims were denied at the time by Libya’s National Oil Corporation, which maintained that its crude sales followed established contractual and regulatory procedures.
With the refinery expanding production capacity to 700,000 barrels per day and targeting even higher output in the coming years, it has broadened its sourcing strategy by importing crude from several countries, including Angola, Ghana, Guyana, the United Arab Emirates and now Libya.
Meanwhile, Nigeria exported approximately 148.9 million barrels of crude oil during the first five months of 2026, representing nearly 69 percent of the country’s total production over the same period. The high export volume has continued to raise concerns among domestic refiners over limited access to locally produced crude.
Industry figures show that Nigeria produced about 216.85 million barrels of crude oil during the review period, leaving roughly 67.95 million barrels available for domestic refining and other local requirements after exports.
The latest import also comes as global oil markets continue to adjust to supply disruptions linked to geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, creating new opportunities for Libyan crude to expand its presence across African and European markets.
Libya has also strengthened crude exports to neighbouring countries, with Egypt and Tunisia increasing purchases in recent months, while Italy remains the country’s largest buyer.
The Dangote Refinery recently expanded its procurement strategy further by purchasing its first cargoes of crude oil from the United Arab Emirates, reflecting its continued efforts to secure reliable feedstock supplies from multiple international sources amid ongoing domestic supply constraints.
