PENGASSAN Reacts to Dangote Refinery Production Delay

The 650,000 barrels per day Dangote Refinery has yet to start operating following the August start date that President of the Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, had previously announced.

Former President Muhammadu Buhari stated, “Your excellencies, distinguished guests, our first product would be in the market by the end of July or the beginning of August this year,” in his remarks at the official commissioning of the refinery in May.

It was discovered that despite the projected production deadline, not a single drop of refined petroleum product from the refinery has reached the market.

Garba Deen, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited’s spokesperson, stated in June that the business will reduce its gasoline importation programme in August after the Dangote Refinery started producing refined petroleum products in late August.

The Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria’s senior source also revealed that NNPCL had reduced imports.

Farouk Ahmed, the head of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Agency, confirmed Deen’s claims when he told journalists, also in June, following a meeting with oil marketers in Abuja, that NNPCL had reduced importation.

As at the time of publication, representatives from the Dangote Refinery’s communications department were unavailable for comment.

Yet a source at the refinery told The PUNCH that the management wasn’t sure when the Ibeju-Lekki facility would start refining petrol.

The unnamed insider stated that “for the time being, the management has not released any formal date.”

Festus Osifo, president of the Nigerian Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association, encouraged the federal government to concentrate on finishing the Port Harcourt refinery rather than the Dangote refinery.

“We should instead concentrate on getting other refineries up and running since it will reduce import-related freight costs and lower pricing,” he said. Despite the government owning a 20% ownership in the refinery, Dangote is a private businessman and has the right to decide tomorrow whether or not to refine once again. Instead of waiting for the government to answer, we could fight for our own refineries and inquire as to when the Port Harcourt refinery would begin processing gasoline.

There was no need for fear regarding the supply of fuel, according to Mike Osatuyi, National Controller Operations for the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, as the NNPCL was still importing.

He said that the Dangote refinery’s management may have delayed production as a result of internal issues.

He also gave the Federal Government advice to stop depending on the Dangote refinery and to make sure that other local refineries start operating.