House Of Reps Leadership Conducts Site Visit To Dangote Refinery

House Of Reps Leadership Conducts Site Visit To Dangote Refinery 

Upon arrival, they were warmly welcomed by Aliko Dangote, the President of the Dangote Group, along with senior executives of the company……. CONTINUE READING 

During their visit, the lawmakers are scheduled to tour the refinery, which boasts a capacity of 650,000 barrels per day. Discussions will also revolve around plans to commence petrol supply from the refinery starting next month.

This marks the second visit by federal lawmakers to the refinery this year, following a previous visit by the Senate leadership led by Senate President Godswill Akpabio in June.

The visit comes shortly after Farouk Ahmed, the CEO of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), claimed that diesel produced by the Dangote refinery contains a high sulphur content of about 1,000 parts per million.

Ahmed emphasized that despite ongoing operations and sales of diesel and aviation fuel in Nigeria for several months, the refinery has not yet obtained its operating license and remains in the pre-commissioning stage, with an estimated completion rate of around 45 percent.

Responding to concerns about national fuel supply security, Ahmed cautioned against over-reliance on the Dangote refinery, noting the refinery’s request to halt the issuance of import licenses to other marketers in favor of becoming the sole supplier of petroleum products in Nigeria.

He stressed the importance of maintaining a competitive market and energy security, highlighting that the current sulphur content in the refinery’s diesel does not meet West African standards, contrasting with imported products which typically meet the 50 parts per million requirement.

In conclusion, Ahmed underscored the necessity for a diversified supply chain and regulatory oversight to ensure energy security and market stability in Nigeria.