KEY POINTS
- Dangote refinery Trump claims contradict ongoing US crude supply relationships.
- The refinery buys significant volumes of American crude oil annually.
- Dangote refinery Trump claims overlook its impact on local fuel prices.
Aliko Dangote has dismissed claims circulating on social media that US President Donald Trump is unhappy with the establishment of the $20 billion Dangote Refinery, calling the reports baseless and disconnected from reality.
The president of Dangote Refinery addressed the speculation after online commentary attempted to link Trump’s recent remarks about potential military action against terrorists targeting Christians in Nigeria to the operations of Africa’s largest oil refinery. According to the narrative, the refinery’s emergence had somehow unsettled Washington.
Dangote said the claims ignore a basic commercial reality: the United States remains one of the refinery’s most important crude oil suppliers.
Dangote refinery Trump claims lack evidence
Speaking to journalists on Sunday, Dangote said there is no hostility from the US toward the refinery, noting that American producers continue to benefit from its demand for crude.
“The US has been one of our major suppliers of crude, which is why when someone says Trump is not happy with our refinery, it’s not true,” he said.
He added that the commercial relationship should, if anything, make the refinery welcome in Washington. “Trump is more than happy with our refinery, because on average for a year, we do not buy more than 100 million barrels from the US,” Dangote said, underscoring the scale of US crude exports tied to the project.
Dangote refinery Trump claims versus market reality
Beyond geopolitics, Dangote said the refinery is already reshaping Nigeria’s downstream petroleum market. Locally refined petrol, he noted, is now available at competitive prices and meets higher quality standards than many imported alternatives.
According to Dangote, Nigerian consumers are increasingly able to choose between domestically refined fuel and more expensive imported blended products. That shift could pressure fuel importers to absorb losses as locally produced petrol gains market share.
He said the broader impact includes lower prices for consumers, improved fuel quality and a reduced dependence on imported premium motor spirit. Over time, that dynamic could help stabilize supply, conserve foreign exchange and strengthen energy security in Africa’s largest economy.
For Dangote, the idea that the refinery has triggered political hostility abroad misunderstands its role. The project, he said, is fundamentally commercial, benefiting suppliers, consumers and the Nigerian economy alike.
