The Dangote Petroleum Refinery has announced a major operational milestone, achieving full restoration and optimisation of its Crude Distillation Unit (CDU) and Motor Spirit (MS) production block. According to a statement released by the company on Wednesday, both units are now operating at optimal performance, bolstering the steady-state operations of Africa’s largest oil refining facility.

Following scheduled maintenance on the CDU and MS Block, the refinery has initiated a 72‑hour series of performance test runs in collaboration with licensor UOP. These tests aim to validate operational efficiency and confirm compliance with global standards.

David Bird, Chief Executive Officer, stated that the seamless integration and strong performance of the units demonstrate the refinery’s advanced engineering and robust operational capabilities. He noted, “Our teams have demonstrated exceptional precision and expertise in stabilising both the CDU and MS Block, and we are pleased to see them functioning at optimal efficiency. This performance testing phase enables us to validate the entire plant under real operating conditions. We are confident that the refinery remains firmly on track to deliver consistent, world‑class output.”

Mr. Bird added that the CDU and MS Block, which include the naphtha hydrotreater, isomerisation unit, and reformer unit, are now operating steadily at the full nameplate capacity of 650,000 barrels per day. He also confirmed that all remaining processing units will begin their respective performance test runs in Phase 2, scheduled to commence next week.

During the recent festive period, the refinery supplied between 45–50 million litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) daily. With the CDU and MS Block now fully restored, the refinery is positioned to comfortably deliver up to 75 million litres of PMS to the domestic market as required.

Expressing appreciation to customers and Nigerians across the country, Mr. Bird reaffirmed the refinery’s commitment to enhancing Nigeria’s energy security while supporting industrial development, job creation, and economic diversification.

Otedola's Projection on Naira

Femi Otedola, chairperson of First HoldCo Plc, has expressed optimism that the naira could strengthen significantly following the Dangote Petroleum Refinery’s announcement that it has reached its full operational capacity of 650,000 bpd.

In a statement on Thursday via his official X page, Mr Otedola congratulated Aliko Dangote, describing the milestone as a defining moment for Nigeria’s energy sector and broader economy. “With domestic refining now firmly underway after decades of reliance on imports, pressure on the foreign exchange market should ease significantly. I am optimistic that the naira will strengthen meaningfully, and trading below ₦1,000/$1 before year-end is increasingly within reach,” the billionaire businessman wrote.

The naira has recently traded around ₦1,350 per dollar in the official market.

Beyond the current milestone, Mr Otedola disclosed that the Dangote Group has embarked on an additional $12 billion expansion project to increase refining capacity to 1.4 million bpd. The expansion will also include annual production of 2.4 million metric tonnes of polypropylene and 400,000 metric tonnes of Linear Alkyl Benzene—key raw materials for plastics and detergent manufacturing.

“Aliko is not stopping here. He has embarked on an additional $12 billion expansion to increase refining capacity to 1.4 million barrels per day, alongside 2.4 million tons of polypropylene and 400,000 metric tons of Linear Alkyl Benzene for detergent production. Work has already commenced in earnest,” Mr Otedola said.