AfriPulse
Aliko Dangote has delivered a message many Nigerians have waited decades to hear—this Christmas season will not be marked by the familiar, frustrating fuel queues.
Speaking with State House Correspondents on Friday after what he described as a routine meeting with President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, the President of the Dangote Group said the country had finally broken free from a cycle that began more than 50 years ago.
“Historically, Nigeria has battled fuel queues since 1972. For the first time, we are eliminating those queues, not through imports but by producing locally,” Dangote said with confidence.
“Even when we were servicing the refinery, there were no queues. I can assure you that queues are now history.”
According to him, the Dangote Refinery has officially informed the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) that it is positioned to supply 50 million litres of petrol daily—more than enough to meet national demand.
And the transformation won’t stop at Nigeria’s borders. By February 2026, Dangote projects that the refinery will be producing an excess of 15 to 20 million litres daily above the country’s consumption.
“So, we must export. Even our neighbours won’t experience queues because they can buy from us,” he added.
He also highlighted a major win for local industries, especially manufacturers in the plastics sector who previously spent about $400 million annually on imported feedstock.
With domestic supply now secured, production costs are expected to fall significantly.
Dangote, further, unveiled an ambitious expansion plan: scaling the refinery’s capacity to 1.4 million barrels per day by 2028—surpassing India’s Reliance refinery, currently the world’s largest at 1.25 million barrels per day.
“We have already signed the necessary agreements. Construction piling begins before the end of January, and we will deliver on schedule,” he assured.
Beyond fuels, he said the group aims to dominate the global fertiliser market by increasing urea production to 12 million tonnes yearly.
“Our goal is to use our fertiliser company to supply the entire African continent,” Dangote noted.
On the recent drop in petrol and diesel prices, he linked it to healthier competition and a reduction in fuel smuggling.
“Prices are going down because we must compete with imports. Luckily, smuggling has dropped significantly, though not completely,” he said.
Dangote reiterated that his refinery project was built on long-term value—not immediate profit.
“We’re not here to recover 20 billion dollars overnight; this is a long-term investment. The legacy I want to leave is that whatever Nigerians need—fuel, fertiliser, power—we will be part of delivering it.”
He also threw his weight behind President Tinubu’s Naira-for-crude initiative, describing it as a patriotic step designed to strengthen the local economy, even though some international oil companies initially resisted it.
“It’s a teething problem, but it will be resolved, either through legislation or administrative action,” he said.
Source: NationalAccordNewspaper | Read the Full Story…
