Atiku warns against attempts to impede progress of Dangote Refinery

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has kicked against attempts to impede the progress of the Dangote refinery.

In a post via X on Saturday, Atiku described the refinery as a significant private sector project positioned to meet the country’s energy and foreign exchange needs.

He urged Nigerians to ensure that internal and external forces do not collaborate to prevent the country from benefiting from the refinery.

He wrote: “Each parent eagerly awaiting the arrival of a child will dutifully undertake the necessary measures to ensure that the nurturing and development of this precious blessing remain a primary focus. This fundamental principle applies equally to investments, whether they be local or international in nature.

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“With this understanding, I am cautious in considering any deliberate attempts to impede the progress of the Dangote Refinery, a significant private sector project positioned to meet our energy and forex needs.

“Alongside numerous fellow citizens of goodwill, I call upon all Nigerians to take resolute actions to provide reassurance that both internal and external forces are not collaborating to prevent us from reaping the benefits promised by this eagerly anticipated transformative endeavour.”

This comes after Dangote Group in a statement by its Group Chief, Branding and Communications Officer, Anthony Chiejina, said it was yet to receive 26 million barrels of crude allocation facilitated by the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC).

NUPRC had claimed it facilitated 26 million barrels of crude oil allocation to Dangote Refinery in the first quarter of 2024.

Dangote Group, however, said NUPRC had only facilitated the purchase of one crude cargo from a domestic producer.

“Aside from the term supply we bilaterally negotiated with NNPC, so far NUPRC has only facilitated the purchase of one crude cargo from a domestic producer. The rest of the cargoes we have processed were purchased from international traders,” the statement said.