If all was well, Dangote Refinery, the world’s largest single-train, 650,000 bpd capacity oil refinery, would have reached its peak production by now, and our fuel energy challenges might have considerably eased off. Though it was officially commissioned on May 22, 2023, seven days to the end of former President Muhammadu Buhari’s regime, the $20 billion behemoth has suddenly become trapped in what is usually known as “the Nigeria factor”. These are ethnic, sectional, religious and corrupt selfish factors that are raised to emasculate any major move to develop Nigeria. It was this factor that forced Dangote to spend double the worth of the refinery in its construction. During Presidents Goodluck Jonathan and Buhari’s regimes, Dangote enjoyed a “free ride” of support towards actualising this project which will be a major step towards liberating Nigerians from fuel importation. Painting, like medicine, leaves no room for error — Dr Ojeabuo, A Speed Painter
But in the past year, Aliko Dangote, the founder, has suddenly grown ten years older. A man who rarely spoke to the media is almost on air every day, full of lamentations and regrets. He not only said recently he would no longer go into the steel sector as he had promised, he has even offered to sell off the refinery to the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Ltd, NNPCL.
Dangote is encountering strange difficulties from the commercialised state monopoly which has failed to supply it with Nigeria’s sweet crude. This would have helped end importation and probably knock down the high pump price.
Also, the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, NMDPRA, suddenly de-marketed Dangote Refinery’s products last week, alleging that they were “inferior” to imported ones, which Dangote has debunked. We strongly suspect that politics of selfish interest have been stirred against this project. If care is not taken, we may end up seeing another ugly Ajaokuta experience. We are afraid that if Dangote Refinery goes down, it may be difficult to persuade any Nigerian or even genuine foreign investor to take a chance of this magnitude on Nigeria.
We call on the Federal Government to act fast and remove all impediments towards making Dangote and other refineries, including the completed but idle modular oil factories, to come fully on-stream. Though these are mainly private establishments, they are also national assets that the government and people of Nigeria must protect at all costs in the overwhelming national interest. We used to lament that Nigeria lacked refining capacity. Now that we appear to have overcome that disability, we must resist any attempt to rob the masses of their benefits. We are tired of petroleum products importation, subsidies, Shylock pricing and fuel scarcity. All eyes are on President Bola Tinubu, who also doubles as the Minister of Petroleum Resources, to end this stand-off pronto!