The President of the Dangote Petroleum Refinery, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, says Nigeria's 50-year battle with fuel queues has ended, following one year of petrol production at his company’s 650,000 barrels-per-day facility.
Speaking in Lagos on Monday at a news conference to mark the refinery’s first anniversary of petrol production, Dangote said that Nigerians, who had endured persistent shortages since 1975, were now witnessing “a new era”.
“We have been battling fuel queues since 1975, but today Nigerians are seeing real change,” he said.
Dangote revealed that the project was fraught with risks, noting that lenders could have seized his assets had it failed.
He recalled how investors, industry experts, and foreign officials doubted its feasibility because of the belief that only sovereign nations could execute such massive infrastructure.
“Some thought we were taking food off their tables. That is not true. What we’ve done is to make Nigeria and Africa proud,” he said.
The refinery has already helped stabilise petrol prices, with pump prices dropping from nearly N1,100 per litre before operations began to about N841 in the South West, Abuja, Delta, Rivers, Edo, and Kwara states.
To further cut costs, Dangote said 4,000 CNG-powered trucks were being deployed nationwide, a move expected to create at least 24,000 jobs.
“We’ve not displaced anyone. These trucks will not be driven by robots,” he added.
He stressed that employees enjoy robust welfare packages, including comprehensive health insurance for spouses and up to four children, life insurance, and lifetime pensions.
