The President, Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, has called on Nigerians to patronise only made-in-Nigerian goods and services so as to grow the economy. He also said that this was very necessary if Nigeria wants to grow and be at par with more developed countries.
Dangote made the statement during the occasion of a media tour of his refinery led by former presidential spokesperson and foremost advocate of made-in-Nigerian goods, Reno Omokri.
According to Dangote, Nigerians have a collective duty to grow Nigeria by patronising only made-in-Nigerian goods.
“I want to encourage all Nigerians to buy only made-in-Nigeria. When you buy anything made in Nigeria, you are helping to create jobs.
“And the only way for us to be a stronger nation is to patronise ourselves and be buying made-in-Nigeria only so that we can encourage, create jobs and and prosperity,” he stated.
Also speaking on the economic importance of the Dangote Refinery, Omokri, who is also the ambassador of #GrowNairaBuyNaija campaign, said the Dangote Refinery was not only up-to-date but also up-to-tomorrow.
“The Dangote Refinery is not up-to-date. It is up-to-tomorrow. It is the future of Nigeria. In the past, shippers complained about bringing goods to Nigeria and leaving with their ships empty. However, in the one year that this refinery has been operational, over 650 vessels have left the Dangote Terminal, with 60% of those maritime exports going to the United States, and the rest going to Brazil, Argentina, and other nations.
“And speaking of the Dangote Terminal, Dangote Refinery built its own shipping port terminals. They do not disturb the traffic in public ports. Their ports have the most modern RORO facilities.
“Then you move into the refinery itself, and nothing can prepare you for the sheer size and scale of what Alhaji Aliko Dangote has done, not for himself, but for Nigeria.
“He has transformed the Lekki Free Trade Zone, initiated by President Tinubu, into the most valuable commercial real estate in West Africa.
“There are almost 100 tanks, sometimes holding as much as 120 million litres of product individually. From every barrel of crude oil received, the Dangote Refinery transforms it into at least 12 refined products.
“In Europe, the highest grade of Premium Motor Spirit (petrol) is Euro 5 petrol, while the standard for diesel is Euro 5 diesel.
“Both specifications comply with the European standards on emissions, which require diesel fuel to have a maximum sulfur content of 10 parts per million for diesel, while petrol must have a lower than 10 ppm.
“The Dangote Refinery delivers the Euro 6 standard for both products.
“Do you now see why I said they are up-to-tomorrow, rather than up-to-date? No country on earth can reject Dangote products on the basis of product quality! They go above and beyond your standards.
“Then the other thing that amazes you when you enter this project site, which covers 2635 hectares (to put that in perspective, that is 10% of the landmass of the nation of Saint Lucia), is the almost startling number of young people you see gainfully employed.
“Nigerian youths are running the Dangote Refinery. The place is energetic and the energy is kinetic. And there is an ethnic mix. He probably has more Nigerian staff outside his own native Northwest geopolitical zone.
“At the Central Laboratory, a commendable 60% of the staff are women. You see the brightest hijab-wearing PhD holders, then you turn around and see blue jeans-wearing females with degrees from Europe and America,” Omokri stated.
