Nigeria exported Premium Motor Spirit, popularly known as petrol, worth N105.5bn to Togo in the first quarter of 2026 amid recent revelations that Nigerian fuel marketers are increasingly re-importing Dangote-produced petroleum products through the offshore ship-to-ship trading hub in Lomé, Togo, official trade data has shown, The Punch reports.

According to the export figures in the National Bureau of Statistics’ Foreign Trade Statistics Report for the first quarter of 2026, ordinary motor spirit ranked among Nigeria’s major petroleum exports to the neighbouring country during the period.

The data highlights a reversal in the nation’s downstream petroleum sector, which for years depended heavily on imported petrol due to inadequate domestic refining capacity. Nigeria imported approximately $117m worth of petroleum oils (petrol/refined products) from Togo in 2023, and $72–77m in 2024.

The 2026 Q1 report revealed that petrol exports to Togo were valued at N105.50bn, making the product one of the most significant energy commodities shipped from Nigeria to the West African nation. Gas oil exports to Togo stood at N278.36bn, while kerosene-type jet fuel exports were valued at N273.18bn. Crude petroleum oil exports amounted to N220.14bn, while partially refined oil, including crude oil that had undergone primary refinement, was valued at N89.83bn.

The emergence of petrol as a major export commodity follows the ramp-up of operations at the Dangote Petroleum Refinery, which has significantly increased the country’s refining output and transformed fuel supply dynamics within the sub-region.

The latest figures come amid revelations that petroleum products refined by Dangote are increasingly dominating fuel movements across West Africa, with Togo’s offshore trading hub in Lomé playing a strategic role in regional distribution.