President/Chief Executive, Dangote Petroleum Refinery, Aliko Dangote, yesterday, alleged that oil mafias are all out to kill his $20billion refinery the same way they killed Nigeria’s textile industry.

He spoke at the refinery on Monday on the first anniversary of gasoline production, saying the journey has been rough in the last one year.

He said: “The past one year has been a very rough journey, I must confess. It wasn’t an easy journey because we came in to change the narratives. We came in to change the system of how things have been done in the downstream sector. We have people who are used to rents’ collection. We have people who believe we have removed food from their tables.

“But it’s not that we removed food from their table, it’s just that we made our country and our continent very proud because all the countries in Africa import petroleum products. Two were not importing before, but, right now, they’ve joined the queue, they’re importing. All the refineries in South Africa, only one is working; they’ve actually destroyed them. The international traders and the local marketers all connive to suffocate any refinery.”

He dismissed insinuations that the refinery lacks the capacity to produce and supply fuel for the country.

“If we don’t have the capacity, why are we exporting,” he asked.

According to him, the refinery has exported not less than 1.8billion litres in the last three months.

“We have the capacity. If we don’t have the capacity, then why are we exporting because the dumping process is massive. It’s not small. It’s the same way they used in killing textiles that they want to use in killing us,” he said.

How we ended 50 years fuel queues

Dangote declared that since the refinery began producing petrol a year ago, Nigeria’s five-decade-long struggle with fuel queues has finally come to an end.

Dangote highlighted that Nigerians have endured persistent fuel queues since 1975. However, this issue has been steadily resolved since the refinery began rolling out petrol on September 15, 2024.

“We have been battling fuel queues since 1975, but today Nigerians are witnessing a new era,” he said.

Acknowledging the numerous challenges the refinery has faced since its inception, Dangote emphasised the company’s unwavering commitment to Nigeria and Africa.

“The journey has been challenging because we sought to transform the downstream sector in Nigeria. Some believed we were taking food from their tables, which simply isn’t true. What we have done is to make our country and continent proud. Previously, only two African countries were not importing petrol, but regrettably, they have since resumed imports. This is detrimental to Africa,” he added.

Reflecting on the challenges faced during the refinery’s development, Dangote disclosed that the project involved enormous risk.

He stated that he received repeated warnings from industry experts, investors, local and foreign government officials, who argued that only sovereign nations undertook such large-scale refinery ventures. He admitted that had the project failed, he would have lost all his assets to lenders.

“The decision to build the refinery was not easy. If it had gone wrong, lenders would have taken our assets. But we believed in Nigeria and Africa,” he said.

Despite opposition and economic headwinds, the refinery has successfully reduced the price of petrol from nearly N1,100 before production began to N841 in the South West, Abuja, Delta, Rivers, Edo, and Kwara.

With the gradual rollout of CNG-powered trucks, Dangote anticipates this price reduction will soon be felt nationwide.

He noted that the refinery has sufficient capacity to meet Nigeria’s domestic demand while also generating foreign exchange through exports.

‘N1.8bn litres exported in three months’

He revealed that between June and first week of September 2025, the facility had exported over 1.1 billion litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), underscoring its capacity to meet domestic demand and contribute significantly to foreign exchange earnings.

Emphasising job creation, he stated that the refinery has no intention of displacing workers but is instead generating thousands of new employment opportunities. The deployment of 4,000 CNG-powered trucks is expected to create at least 24,000 jobs across Nigeria.

“We have not displaced any jobs; we are creating many more. The CNG trucks will not be operated by robots,” he said.

“Our employees earn salaries three times the minimum wage. Our drivers receive a living wage, life insurance, health insurance covering themselves, their spouses, and up to four children, as well as a lifelong pension. We are not only employing drivers but also mechanics, fleet managers, and other professionals to support the CNG fleet,” he added.

Dangote clarified that while the company respects trade unions, membership is a personal choice for each driver.

He reaffirmed his commitment to Nigeria’s industrialisation, describing it as essential for the continent’s development.

Dangote emphasised the urgent need for Nigeria to protect its local industries and discourage the dumping of cheap foreign goods, citing the collapse of the once-thriving textile sector as a cautionary example.

He noted that Nigeria’s path to sustainable economic growth lies in industrialisation, which not only boosts local productivity but also supports a circular economy.

“Other nations were not industrialised by outsiders. We must build and industrialise our own economies. Without this, how can others invest? That is why I believe the National Assembly should enact legislation to support the Federal Government’s ‘Nigeria First’ policy.

“My goal is to see Africa prosper, as we have the fastest-growing population in the world. Relying on imports means exporting jobs and importing poverty. Many individuals with greater financial resources than myself want to invest, but the challenges we face discourage them. Numerous sectors are still in urgent need of industrialisation,” he said.

Fuel is cheaper in Nigeria

He maintained that petrol is cheaper in Nigeria because the refinery was making sacrifices.

“People don’t know that we’re actually sacrificing a lot because the crude we’re buying through the naira-for-crude deal, we are not allowed to export it. We’re only to process it and supply it to Nigeria. And, at a time, when Mele Kyari was there, they were even jerking up the price. We even paid a $6 premium to Brent when the Russian one is selling at $20. So, how do you compete with that?,” he stated.

The billionaire disclosed that 85 per cent of the petrol going to the Republic of Benin is from the informal sector through smuggling.

“It’s coming from Nigeria. We are the only next neighbour, there is no anybody that will go anywhere to import. So, that’s still smuggling. And I can understand why sometimes people will now fight what we are doing. These are the drawbacks that we face during this period, but we go ahead,” he stressed.

On the allegations that he sells fuel cheaper to international traders, Dangote disclosed that the mafia forced him to lower his price when exporting.

“And one of the issues is that we sometimes even export a little bit cheaper than the cost that we sell for the domestic market, that’s not so. We were getting suffocated, you sell us crude, charge us a premium, (which is still happening today), and then we compete with Russian subsidised products. And then, the only way for us to keep that refinery going is we have to sell. And when we are going to sell, the same team, part of the mafia, will now price us low. So, we sell a bit low, because we have to survive. That’s what is happening,” Dangote clarified.

‘Give Nigerians your own french gift’, Dangote mocks NUPENG

He mocked the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) for warning Nigerians against accepting Dangote Refinery’s recent fuel price reduction.

Dangote had announced lower petrol pump prices in several states alongside a new scheme to deploy compressed natural gas (CNG) trucks directly to filling stations, a move expected to reduce logistics costs.

But NUPENG dismissed the offer as a “Greek gift,” alleging that the refinery was undermining workers’ rights, sidelining the union, and pushing drivers into a rival association.

Netizens heavily lampooned the union querying that during hard times, NUPENG never supported the masses.

Dangote took a swipe at the union over its criticism.

“They said we gave Nigerians a Greek gift, why don’t you give the French one. Even if it’s a Greek gift, it means that it is a gift and will still be there all the time,” he said.

He also addressed controversy surrounding the new CNG trucks initiative rolled out by the refinery, saying more jobs would be created through the direct fuel distribution scheme.

At least 24,000 jobs will be created through the initiative, Dangote said.

Refinery rolls out CNG trucks for fuel distribution

The Dangote Petroleum Refinery has officially rolled out over 1,000 Compressed Natural Gas-powered trucks for its direct distribution of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS).

The refinery announced in August that it had received the first batch of its 4000 CNG-powered trucks for the fuel distribution programme, which was initially set to commence on August 15.

The refinery had said the decision to adopt direct fuel distribution was to reduce dependency on third-party carriers for fuel distribution in Nigeria.

Anthony Chiejina, group head of corporate communications, Dangote Group, on Monday at the refinery, told newsmen that the adoption is a transition from “an old to a new order.”

He spoke at the refinery’s gantry where loading of about six CNG trucks were demonstrated to the newsmen.

“You can see the trucks, the difference is clear. We have 1,000 here and about 500 at the port. The rest are coming. So, by the end of the month we would get the 4,000 CNG trucks here.

“That’s a big transformation, within one year we have been able to transit from old to the new one,” Chiejina said. (Daily Trust)