President of the Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, has alleged that influential fuel importers and entrenched interests in the oil sector made several attempts to frustrate the development of the $20 billion Dangote Petroleum Refinery.
Dangote said the group he described as a “mafia” feared the refinery would disrupt the long-standing system that encouraged the importation of refined petroleum products into Nigeria, despite the country being one of Africa’s major crude oil producers.
According to him, his determination to end decades of fuel scarcity and endless queues at filling stations motivated him to embark on the massive refinery project.
Speaking during an interview with the Chief Executive Officer of Norway’s sovereign wealth fund, Nicolai Tangen, Dangote explained that the refinery project, which began in 2013, faced numerous setbacks, including delays linked to land acquisition and resistance from vested interests in the oil industry.
He noted that the project required the construction of major infrastructure from scratch, including a dedicated port, roads, water treatment facilities and heavy equipment handling systems.
Dangote said despite the huge financial and operational challenges, he remained committed to completing the refinery to improve energy security in Nigeria and across Africa.
He said many African countries export crude oil but rely heavily on imported refined products, a situation he described as harmful to foreign reserves and economic growth.
Reflecting on the difficulties encountered during construction, Dangote disclosed that land acquisition alone delayed the project for about five years. He also recalled the sharp depreciation of the naira during the construction period, with the exchange rate rising from about ₦156 per dollar at the start of the project to nearly ₦1,900 at one point.
According to him, the refinery required specialised infrastructure because existing Nigerian ports could not accommodate the massive equipment needed for the project, some of which weighed up to 3,000 tonnes.
He further revealed that the refinery consumes about 440 million litres of treated water, while the water treatment facility alone occupies more than 30 hectares of land.
Dangote added that approximately 67,000 workers participated in the construction of the refinery, describing the project as one of the most ambitious industrial developments in Africa.
He acknowledged the support received from financial institutions, including the African Export-Import Bank, African Finance Corporation, Zenith Bank, Access Bank, United Bank for Africa, Standard Bank and Standard Chartered.
He said the successful completion of the refinery eventually exceeded expectations despite the initial fears and challenges.
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