President of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, over the weekend revealed that Dangote Petroleum Refinery has continued to receive repeated orders for its products from all those who have purchased the same since the commencement of production. The refinery has so far exported its products to some European countries, Singapore and offshore Lome.
Speaking during a tour of both Dangote Petroleum Refinery & Petrochemicals and the Dangote Fertiliser Limited complex by members of the House of Representatives, Dangote wondered why a regulatory authority like the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) that should protect local industries is castigating the latter and even lying in media reports to justify the need to continue importation of dirty fuel into the country.
According to him: “I urge you to even set up a committee that will take samples at filling stations and take our own sample, because I must tell you that all the test certificates people are flaunting
around are fake certificates. Where are the laboratories where those tests were conducted? By doing this, you will be able to tell Nigerians the very truth that they deserve to know. Demarketing of a company by a regulator that is supposed to protect it, is very unfortunate.
“We didn’t know that you were going to ask us to stop by the road and take samples from other filling stations. I didn’t know what you wanted to do until we got here and you requested a test. It is even good that it is your members that went directly to get our samples and I am sure you were shocked by the result. With the result, you can see that we produce the best diesel in Nigeria.”
Dangote openly challenged the regulator (NMDPRA) to compare the quality of refined products from his petroleum refinery with those imported, while advocating for an impartial assessment to determine what best serves the interests of Nigerians. “We produce the best diesel in Nigeria. It is disheartening that instead of safeguarding the market, the regulator is undermining it. Our doors are open for the regulator to conduct tests on our products anytime; transparency is paramount to us. It would be beneficial for the regulator to showcase its laboratory to the world so Nigerians can compare. Our interest is Nigeria first because if Nigeria doesn’t grow, we have limited capacity for growth.
