Aliko Dangote, Chairman of the Dangote Group, has called on petroleum marketers, including the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC), to source petrol directly from his refinery to alleviate fuel scarcity in the country.
Dangote made this appeal on Tuesday after a closed-door meeting with President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa. He confirmed the refinery’s readiness to supply fuel, highlighting its capacity to produce over 30 million litres daily and its current 500 million-litre reserve.
“We’re more than ready,” Dangote assured State House correspondents, adding that the refinery’s output could significantly reduce Nigeria’s reliance on fuel imports.
Addressing concerns about ongoing fuel shortages, he explained, “We are producers. I’m not in the business of retail. If I were, then you could hold me accountable. But I’m urging retailers to come forward and purchase our fuel. If they don’t, I don’t know what else I can do.”
Dangote emphasized the financial implications of storing large fuel reserves, stating, “Keeping a billion litres in our tanks is costly. I could be earning interest on that money. The issue is to get the fuel into the market, so people can stop queuing at filling stations.”
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