The President of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, has disclosed that his friend who earlier warned him against investing in Nigeria is now taunting him for ignoring his advice.

Dangote disclosed this in an interview with PREMIUM TIMES on Sunday just as reports quoted the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority as claiming that diesel from Dangote Refinery is of inferior quality.

“Four years ago, one of my very wealthy friends began to invest his money abroad. I disagreed with him and urged him to rethink his actions in the interest of his country.

“He blamed his action on policy inconsistencies and shenanigans of interest groups.

“That friend has been taunting me in the past few days, saying he warned me and that he has been proven right,” Dangote was quoted to have said.

He said he invested in the refinery to help solve a major issue in the country, wondering why some people were working against him.

He added, “As you probably know, I am 67 years old. In less than three years, I will be 70. I need very little to live the rest of my life. I can’t take the refinery or any other property or asset to my grave. Everything I do is in the interest of my country.’

“We have been facing a fuel crisis since the 70s. This refinery can help in resolving the problem but it does appear some people are uncomfortable that I am in the picture. So I am ready to let go, let the NNPC buy me out, run the refinery.

“This refinery can help in resolving the problem but it does appear some people are uncomfortable that I am in the picture. So I am ready to let go, let the NNPC buy me out, and run the refinery. At least the country will have high-quality products and create jobs.”

The 650,000 barrel-per-day refinery, which came to life last year after a decade of prolonged construction, cost $19 billion, more than double the initial estimate, promising to help wean Africa’s biggest oil producer off its reliance on fuel from overseas and save up 30 per cent of the total foreign exchange spent on importing goods.

On Sunday, the Federal Government, through the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, said it was expecting fresh reports to confirm the real sulphur content of the diesel produced by the Dangote refinery as the company debunked claims of inferior fuel production.

The NMDPRA spokesman, George Ene-Ita, in an interview with The PUNCH, said the agency had done its job and would not engage in a media fight with anybody over the claims made by the NMDPRA Chief Executive, Farouk Ahmed, that Dangote’s diesel has more sulphur content than imported one.

According to Ene-Ita, the authority has about 15 engineers and scientists embedded in the Dangote refinery, whose fresh report about the refinery’s sulphur content will be out on Monday (today).

Africa’s richest man had earlier narrated how a cabal was blocking his moves to import crude and how it has been difficult to get products, slowing down operations.

But last week, the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority said the Nigerian government was yet to license the Dangote refinery to begin operations in the country.

The Chief Executive Officer, NMDPRA, Farouk Ahmed, disclosed this while speaking with journalists at the state House on Thursday, July 18.

According to Ahmed, the claims of ongoing efforts to scuttle the operations of Dangote refinery due to lack of supply of crude oil by International Oil Companies were not true, adding that the refinery was still at the pre-commissioning stage and has not been licensed yet.

Ahmed added that the diesel product of Dangote was below international standard, a claim which the businessman had refuted.

thorpido:
E be like na Ote...

Kingsmeal:
And Helinues, Yarimo Seunmsg Madridguy LegendHero Paraman all want foreign Investors 😂.

When a whole Africa's richest man is wailing 😂.

Make una dey play. Tinubu is a proper failure.

EmeeNaka:
Dangote is a liar. He should tell us where in the world has he been better treated than in Nigeria. His refinery is not Nigerian government refinery, it is his private business and he should stop lamenting. Many people's shops and buildings has been demolished around Nigeria, including that of Landmark. People bite dust in Nigeria everyday.

nlfpmod:
The rich also cries. They've really frustrated this man and he's now doing cho cho cho. I thought he belongs to the AGIP party (Any Government In Power).

LordLugard1:
Dangote has joined Obidient

Tokskob2008:
Everything is off about this country I swear or is this not the refinery everyone was hoping it will be a game changer for the country
Now the owner is lamenting almost every day about how he shouldn't have ventured into it....

PresidObi:


You are asking for Dangote refinery to be demolished?

papyjaypaul:
I think Dangote's biggest problem is that the President is the Minister of Petroleum so the bucks stops at his table but guess what Dangote is part of the President's economic advisory council He should talk to the President when they have the opportunity to meet next

papyjaypaul:
Has anyone noticed there is one story per week to distract us with

Watch out, by next Sunday, they will release another track for Nigerians to dance to.

I remember when Onyema was always on the news talking about the problems of Air Peace with the cabals and management theorists were telling him to use an image maker or let someone else do the talking. I was just laughing then because Nigeria is a classic case, you need to fight madness with madness. Dangote doesn't give interviews all the time, this time, Dangote called a press interview to speak about his problems Tell him to give the COO or PR this work to do, sheybi Africa's richest man can buy anything