No More Excuses: NNPC and Dangote Bridge the Gap
By Patience Ikpeme
A new chapter has started for Nigeria’s oil sector as the Dangote Petroleum Refinery and the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd.) have agreed to work together as close partners.
The leaders of both companies met at the massive refinery in Lagos to promise that they will move past the disagreements of the past and focus on making sure Nigeria never runs out of fuel again.
During the visit, the President of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, said this partnership is exactly what he dreamed of when he started building the refinery. He said that by working with the new leadership at NNPC, Nigeria can become a leader in the African market and stop depending so much on other countries for its needs.
“This was our dream before it became a reality. The partnership between ourselves and NNPC will not only strengthen Nigeria but can anchor the next phase of Africa’s industrial transformation,” Dangote said. He also told the public that the sky is the limit for what they can achieve together, promising to make Nigerians proud through this cooperation.
Mr. Dangote reminded everyone that NNPC already owns a 7.25 percent share in the refinery on behalf of the Nigerian people. He said it makes more sense for the government to support this existing project instead of spending money to build new ones that do the same thing.
He also revealed that the refinery is growing into a huge industrial center that will produce special chemicals used in making soaps and detergents, which will bring in more foreign money for the country.
“The refinery is an industrial hub, not just a refinery,” Dangote added. He said that by processing our own raw materials here at home instead of selling them abroad and buying them back as finished products, Nigeria will grow its wealth and create more jobs.
On his part, the Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPC Ltd., Engr. Bashir Bayo Ojulari, said the company is ready for a fresh start. He made it clear that they want to be transparent and leave behind the “unproductive past” that many Nigerians used to complain about.
The NNPC boss was impressed by what he saw during the tour of the plant. He told reporters that while the refinery was built to process 650,000 barrels of oil a day, it is actually doing more than that. He saw the machines working at a speed of 661,000 barrels per day.
“None of us ever thought it would even touch 550,000. What we saw live today was 661,000. These are live parameters, not reports or photographs. This plant is a source of national pride,” Ojulari said.
He described both Dangote Group and NNPC as national champions that have the power to change Nigeria’s future for the better. He promised that the discussions they are having are honest and aimed at one goal: making sure the country gets the best value from its resources.
“I want to make a commitment that we mean what we are saying. We are moving away from the unproductive past. Collaboration does not mean mediocrity. It means honest discussions about what will work, with one common purpose—to grow value,” Ojulari said.
Both teams have agreed to sit down in the coming weeks to draw up a final plan on how they will work together day-to-day to improve the economy and make life easier for all Nigerians.
