Civil society organizations have announced their intention to monitor the sales of crude oil from Nigerian National Petroleum Limited (NNPCL) to the Dangote Refinery, citing transparency concerns and a perceived lack of government support for the local refinery.
The groups plan to closely scrutinize NNPCL’s compliance with crude oil sales to the Dangote Refinery. This initiative aims to ensure transparency and adherence to regulatory standards in the dealings between the state oil company and the privately owned refinery.
During a facility tour of the 650,000 barrels per day (bpd) refinery in Lagos, Solomon Adodo of Rise Up for a United Nigeria spoke on behalf of the 28 civil society organizations (CSOs).
In a statement, the CSOs expressed dismay over the government’s apparent reluctance to support the local refinery, despite its potential to alleviate the nation’s fuel crisis and foreign exchange challenges. They accused NNPCL of disregarding President Bola Tinubu’s directive to sell crude oil to the Dangote Refinery in Naira.
The CSOs vowed to intensify advocacy efforts to compel the government to prioritize the Dangote Refinery and ensure its smooth operation. They announced plans to set up a situation room to monitor NNPCL’s compliance with the presidential directive.
Devakumar Edwin, Vice President of Dangote Industries Limited, highlighted the refinery’s potential to transform Nigeria’s economy.
In a statement, Edwin said, “This is what Dangote Refinery seeks to correct. We did the same in the cement and sugar sectors, where Nigeria was a leading importer of those products. With Dangote leading the backward integration program of the government, others came into the sector, and together, Nigeria now exports cement to other countries.”
Despite facing numerous challenges, including difficulties in securing crude oil supply, the Dangote Refinery remains committed to its vision of transforming Nigeria’s petroleum industry, according to Edwin. The CSOs’ move to monitor NNPCL’s compliance is seen as a step towards ensuring that the refinery’s potential is fully realized and that the government supports the project for the benefit of the Nigerian people.
