Plans by the Dangote Petroleum Refinery to deploy 4,000 compressed natural gas (CNG) trucks across Nigeria have been hit by severe shipping disruptions in China, leaving only 450 trucks delivered so far.
A Dangote Group official, who spoke to Punch on condition of anonymity, revealed that a shortage of vessels capable of transporting the vehicles from China to Nigeria has stalled deliveries.
“There are not enough ships coming from China to handle 4,000 trucks and 4,000 tankers,” the source said, noting that 200 trucks arrived in the first shipment, another 250 in the second, with an additional 150 expected next week.
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The refinery confirmed earlier this month that it had begun receiving consignments at Apapa Port, with the first batch received by Devakumar Edwin, Vice President for Oil and Gas at Dangote Industries.
The company estimates the fleet represents a ₦720 billion investment, part of a broader effort to cut fuel distribution costs by ₦1.7 trillion annually and reduce reliance on diesel-powered tankers.
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Despite the delays, Dangote Group insists the rollout will proceed as planned.
The CNG fleet is expected to reduce transportation costs by about 40% while lowering carbon emissions, aligning the company with global clean energy trends.
The refinery, currently operating at 85% of its 650,000 barrels-per-day capacity, has also held meetings with the National Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO) and the Natural Oil and Gas Suppliers Association of Nigeria to reassure stakeholders that tanker drivers and marketers will not be displaced by the transition.
The CNG truck initiative was initially scheduled to launch on August 15, 2025, but shipping bottlenecks in China have forced a staggered deployment.
Image Credit: The Nigerian Inquirer
