Nigeria’s 650,000 barrels per day (bpd) Dangote Refinery is gaining leverage as the war with Iran continues in the Middle East, providing petrol for countries across Africa as imports dry up.

Information provided by Kpler shows that Nigerian exports consisting of kerosene, jet fuel, diesel, and petrol increased to around 214,000 bpd in March from 100,000 bpd in February, with exports to African countries increasing to 90,000 bpd from 38,000 bpd.

So far, Dangote has been able to sell 12 cargoes of petrol consisting of about 456,000 metric tonnes on a free-on-board basis to the international market and has shipped this to countries such as Cameroon, Ghana, Togo, and Cote d’Ivoire, according to Reuters.

Exports of petrol also mark the first time Dangote has sold the fuel abroad since it achieved full capacity in February and highlight the refinery’s strong business acumen as global crude prices reach extreme highs.

As shipping disruptions lower fuel availability, and high prices increase feedstock costs for refiners across the globe, Europe and the Gulf have opted to lessen the flow of low-cost fuels to West Africa, Reuters notes, with domestic suppliers now picking up the slack.

The change is a positive for the CEO of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, who has been pushing Nigerian regulators to cut fuel imports due to their impact on his refinery’s profitability. With imports in Nigeria now stopped as of February, the refinery can come into its own; however, domestic pump prices have increased by 50% since Iran began hitting energy infrastructure across the Middle East.

Currently, Nigeria uses around 50 to 60mn litres of petrol per day, according to Reuters, which makes it sensitive to changes in global energy markets. With a lacklustre supply of cheap fuels from abroad, Nigerian fuel traders are now looking to buy more fuel at home to avoid uncertainty.