Aso Rock Visit: “What I Told Tinubu,” Dangote Opens Up
- Dangote Group Chairman Aliko Dangote has opened up on his meeting with President Tinubu at the Aso Villa
- After his meeting with Tinubu on Tuesday, Aliko Dangote reassured Nigeria of his refinery’s ability to supply fuel locally and addressed concerns over fuel scarcity
- Dangote also called for retailers to come forward and collect fuel, adding that Dangote Refinery has the capacity to surpass the daily fuel needs of the country
TheTalk.NG journalist Esther Odili has over two years of experience covering political parties and movements.
Aliko Dangote, president of Dangote Group, has opened up about the discussion with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Tuesday, October 29.
Dangote opens up on his discussion with Tinubu at the Villa.
Photo credit: @aonanuga1956Source: Twitter
Dangote met with President Tinubu and other members of the Crude oil and Refine Products sales in the Local Currency implementation committee.
Also at the meeting was the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr Wale Edun.
Dangote Refinery ready to supply Nigeria
Speaking with reporters after the meeting, Dangote said he told President Tinubu that his refinery is capable of providing fuel for local production which he estimated to be between 30-32 million liters per day.
As reported by Daily Trust, he said if importation and production were to stop today, Dangote Refinery has the capacity to take care of local consumption for the next 12 days.
Dangote said:
“We can supply whatever is being consumed, what I estimated as our consumption is about 30-32 million litters that one we can even start producing that one by next week, that is not really an issue because as we speak today. We have 500 million liters in our tanks. With that even if there is no production anywhere or no import that will take the country more than 12 days.
“We are very ready, we are more than ready and I am also putting my name on the line by telling Mr President that we will be able to supply the market 30 million per day and we are rumping up, so we are ready.”
He added:
“On the streets what you have to understand is that we are producers, I have a refinery, and I am not in the business of retail, if I am in the business of retail you can hold me responsible, but what I am saying is that the retailers should please come forward and pick. If they don’t come forward and pick, what do you want me to do.
“So I am expecting that the NNPCL and the marketers should stop importing, they should come and collect what they need. I don’t know if you understand what it means to keep half of billion liters in our tanks, it is costing me money. Everyday if I am to collect money i can charge 32 percent in interest. That is what I am losing, If they come and collect then you will not see any queue in the filling stations.”
On his part, the Minister of Finance said, the meeting was to review the implementation of the sale of crude in naira.
Vanguard confirmed the development in its publication on Tuesday.
Ghana gives condition to buy petrol from Dangote
In another development, TheTalk.NG earlier reported that the head of Ghana’s oil regulator stated that once Nigeria’s Dangote Oil Refinery reaches full capacity, Ghana may purchase petroleum products from the plant.
Reuters reported that Mustapha Abdul-Hamid, the chairman of Ghana’s National Petroleum Authority, stated at the OTL Africa Downstream oil conference in Lagos that this may eliminate $400 million in petroleum imports from Europe monthly.
He said that importing from Nigeria instead of Europe would lower the cost of other goods and services by eliminating freight costs.
Source: TheTalk.NG