Dangote Petroleum Refinery said it has achieved a significant milestone by successfully exporting two jet fuel cargoes to Saudi Aramco, the world’s largest oil producer and a leading integrated oil and gas company globally.
Saudi Aramco is the official Saudi Arabian Oil Company, which is a majority state-owned petroleum and natural gas company that is the national oil company of Saudi Arabia.
President of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, revealed this during a visit by the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG), team to both Dangote Fertiliser Limited and the Dangote Petroleum Refinery & Petrochemicals in Ibeju Lekki in Lagos.
Dangote said exporting products to the global markets, especially Saudi Aramco, was because of his refinery’s world-class standards and advanced technologies.
“We are reaching the ambitious goals we set for ourselves, and I’m pleased to announce that we’ve just sold two cargoes of jet fuel to Saudi Aramco,” he said.
Since its production began in 2024, the Dangote refinery has steadily increased its output, now reaching 550,000 barrels per day.
The chairman of NESG, Mr. Niyi Yusuf, stated that Nigeria needs more investments of this calibre to reach its $1 trillion economy goal.
“To achieve a $1 trillion economy, much of that must come from domestic investments. I joked during the bus ride that while others are dredging to create islands for leisure, you have dredged 65 million cubic tonnes of sand to create a future for the country. This refinery, fertiliser plant, petrochemical complex, and supporting infrastructure are monumental,” he said.
Yusuf emphasised that such local industries are essential to Nigeria’s industrialisation and will help foster the growth of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs).
He added that the NESG would continue to advocate for an improved investment climate to attract entrepreneurs, boost development, ensure food security, and address insecurity.
He lamented that Nigeria has become a dumping ground for foreign products, stressing that the country must support its entrepreneurs to become a global player.
Yusuf praised Dangote’s bold vision for making Nigeria self-sufficient in several key sectors.
Yusuf, alongside NESG board members and stakeholders, toured the refinery and fertiliser plants, lauding the level of investment, technology, and sophistication of young Nigerian engineers running world-class laboratories and central control units.
He acknowledged Dangote’s perseverance and success in overcoming numerous challenges.
Dangote reiterated the importance of the private sector in national development, asserting that Nigeria’s challenges could largely be overcome by providing gainful employment to its people.
He stated that the concept of a free market should not be used as a pretext for continued import dependence, highlighting that both developed and developing nations, including the USA and China, actively protect their domestic industries to safeguard jobs and promote self-sufficiency.
Dangote cited the example of the Benin Republic, where cement imports are restricted as part of a deliberate strategy to protect local industries, despite the proximity of his Ibese plant.
He further emphasised that the government stands to gain substantially when the private sector flourishes, noting that 52 kobo (52 per cent) of every naira Dangote Cement generates goes to the government.
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