Nobody will beat us in terms of petrol quality — Dangote

Over a year after its launch in May 2023, Dangote Refinery on Tuesday produced its first batch of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), commonly known as petrol, from its 650,000 barrels-per-day facility in Lagos.

At a press conference, Aliko Dangote, the billionaire owner of the refinery, declared it a “celebration day” for Nigerians, stressing the refinery’s commitment to delivering high-quality fuel.

“You are now going to have good petrol, and the engines of your vehicles will last longer. You will not be having engine issues, which a lot of us were having. It won’t happen at all,” Dangote assured.

He also stated, “The quality here will match that of anywhere in the world, be it the US or Europe; we will make sure nobody will beat us in terms of quality.”

READ ALSO:Dangote refinery to supply 25m litres of fuel daily in September – NMDPRA

Dangote revealed that once final agreements are reached with the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), the refinery’s petrol will be available on the market. “As soon as we finalize with the NNPCL, our product will start going into the market,” he said.

He also noted the broader economic benefits of the refinery’s operations, stating, “We will help restore industry and manufacturing. We will begin real import substitution, saving foreign exchange and earning foreign exchange, which will stabilize the Naira and help reduce inflation and the cost of living.”

Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) Refinery began operations in December 2023, processing 350,000 barrels per day. Despite initial regulatory hurdles, the refinery aims to reach its full capacity of 650,000 barrels per day by the end of the year. It has already started supplying diesel and aviation fuel to local marketers and is now rolling out petrol.

READ ALSO:Dangote officially commences PMS production

The refinery’s rollout of petrol comes amid NNPCL’s admission of a “significant debt to petrol suppliers,” which threatens the sustainability of fuel supply in the country. Reports suggest that a $6 billion debt owed by NNPCL to suppliers has exacerbated petrol scarcity, a problem that has plagued Nigeria since early 2024.
NNPCL has cited various issues, including logistics challenges and flooding, for the supply shortages.