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Nigeria sends first gasoline shipment to US

Sep 17, 2025, 6:54am EDT
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Dangote Oil Refinery.
Dangote Oil Refinery. Sodiq Adelakun/Reuters

A $19-billion refinery in Nigeria sent its first shipment of gasoline to the US, marking a new chapter for the country as a major fuel exporter.

Africa imports the vast majority of its refined fuels despite being a major oil producer, with leaders across the continent vowing in recent months to bolster their energy independence, including via renewable energy investments.

The signature effort in this push is the Nigerian refinery project, built by Aliko Dangote, the continent’s wealthiest man. The Dangote Refinery could bring “greater energy independence to Africa’s largest oil-producing nation, and redefine trade flows across the Atlantic Basin,” Africanews wrote.

A chart showing the share of electricity generation from fossil fuels by continent.
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