Dangote denies monopoly claims, calls refinery game-changer for Nigeria

The League of Engineering Bodies in Nigeria, on Monday, lauded the impressive scale and design of the Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals and Dangote Fertiliser Plant at Ibeju-Lekki, Lagos State.

Describing the superstructure as “awesome” and “mind-blowing,” the engineers praised the facility during their recent visit.

The Vice President of Oil & Gas at Dangote Industries Limited, Mr Devakumar Edwin, who led the tour on Saturday, highlighted the extraordinary engineering feats achieved at the complex.

Edwin addressed the monopoly concerns, clarifying that initiating a project often paves the way for others to follow.

This is just as the company gears up for the launch of its Premium Motor Spirit product.

The league comprising the National Society of Engineers, Nigerian Academy of Engineering, Association of Consulting Engineering in Nigeria, and the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria, commended Dangote Industries for its significant investment in Nigerian engineering talent and infrastructure.

A Monday statement issued by the league titled, “Engineers hail Dangote Petroleum Refinery as Awesome and Mind-blowing,” revealed this.

“The body of engineers also commended the President of Dangote Industries Limited, Aliko Dangote for hiring and nurturing highly-skilled Nigerian engineers – who were guides during the visit – and declared that engineering is alive in Nigeria, from the workforce to the construction at the Dangote Refinery Complex,” it read.

Reacting to questions, the Group Vice President, Oil and Gas, Edwin, demystified talks around the monopoly tag, stating that someone has to start a project before others follow.

“Nigeria was one of the largest importers of cement, then we started manufacturing cement, and then we became exporters; the same thing applies to sugar, salt and now fertiliser. This breakthrough opened the doors for other investors in those industries and Nigeria is better for it.

“What motivates Mr Dangote is his sheer interest in the Nigerian project. We are indeed in business to make money but the question is, where is the money going to? Every money Dangote is making goes back to the Nigerian economy, from cement to salt, sugar, and fertiliser.”

“The business strategy of the Dangote Refinery is to minimise the energy cost and the overall cost of production; build the most environmentally friendly; maximise value addition; maximise gasoline, which is in high demand with about 55 per cent of the production capacity compared to 22 per cent of the existing refineries in Nigeria; strategically located marine infrastructure for crude receipt and product evacuation; state-of-the-art technology; produce Euro V products; provide crude flexibility; and create a market of $21 billion per annum of Nigerian crude,” Edwin asserted.

Speaking during the visit, the 34th and first female President of the Nigerian Society of Engineers, Margaret Oguntala, described the facility as “mind-blowing”.

“I was awed to see the state-of-the-art facility at the Dangote Refinery; what I see here today will blow the mind of any engineer; it is just like the movies. I was an intern at the Port Harcourt Refinery and I also visited the Kaduna Refinery. It is nothing compared to what I see here.

“The young engineer that took us around showed capacity and we are happy that you are building the future of engineers. We at the NSE are behind you, we shall take this home and let the world know that engineering is alive at the Dangote Refinery,” she added.

Speaking on behalf of the Nigerian Academy of Engineering, Prof. Azikwe Onwualu also noted that the visitors have seen “something good and Nigerians need to know about it.”

Onwualu added, “We are happy some of our fellows are part of your system. We would like to remind the President of the Dangote Group, Mr Aliko Dangote, that if you are not doing something great, you will not be criticised.

“Whatever you are doing, keep it up. If we have this kind of development across Nigeria, people won’t be talking about protests. Keep doing what you are doing and you will hear from us.”

Also, the President of the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria, Prof. Sadiq Abubakar, enthused that Nigerian engineers are not inferior to their counterparts globally and the Dangote Refinery is visible proof of this.

“We have known this as a fact that Nigerians are no less in engineering globally. We know our capabilities and this attests to it. What we saw today is emotional and I wonder what the motivation for this colossal investment is. We would like to encourage him to keep the spirit of a true Nigerian,” Abubakar noted.

While speaking to journalists, the Technical Consultant to Dangote Refinery, Babajide Soyode, said the visit of his professional colleagues, made him “very proud.”