The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, organized a high-profile meeting on Monday to tackle the persistent challenges affecting the Dangote Refinery.
The meeting included notable figures such as Aliko Dangote, Chairman and CEO of the Dangote Group; Farouk Ahmed, Chief Executive of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority ; Gbenga Komolafe, CEO of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission; and Mele Kyari, Group CEO of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited.
A statement from Lokpobiri’s Special Adviser on Media and Communication, Nneamaka Okafor, outlined that the meeting aimed to find a sustainable solution to the current challenges facing the Dangote Refinery.
The statement highlighted that all parties showed a commitment to collaborative and proactive problem-solving.
“The Honourable Minister emphasised the importance of cooperation and synergy among all stakeholders to ensure the success and optimal performance of the Oil and Gas sector, which is pivotal for Nigeria’s economic growth and energy security,” the statement read.
Aliko Dangote, in an exclusive interview with Premium Times on Sunday, offered to sell the refinery to the NNPC amid accusations of attempting to monopolize the industry.
This offer followed claims by the chief executive of NMDPRA that Dangote had requested the regulator to stop issuing import licences to other marketers, aiming to be the sole fuel supplier in Nigeria.
“We cannot rely heavily on one refinery to feed the nation, because Dangote is requesting that we should suspend or stop importation of all petroleum products, especially AGO and direct all marketers to the refinery, that is not good for the nation in terms of energy security. And that is not good for the market, because of monopoly,” Ahmed disclosed in a video interview with State House correspondents.
