Africa’s wealthiest man, Aliko Dangote, has revealed that one of his friends, who began investing abroad four years ago, has been taunting him about the recent back-and-forth with the government.
Dangote has faced issues with the government regarding his refinery project in Lagos.
He previously shared how a cabal was obstructing his efforts to import crude oil and how this has complicated the procurement of products, thereby hindering operations.
However, last week, the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) announced that the Nigerian government has yet to license the Dangote refinery to commence operations in the country.
Farouk Ahmed, the chief executive officer (CEO) of NMDPRA, made this disclosure during a press briefing at the State House on Thursday.
According to Ahmed, claims suggesting that efforts to disrupt the Dangote refinery’s operations stem from a lack of crude oil supply by International Oil Companies are unfounded. He stated that the refinery is still in the pre-commissioning stage and has not received its license.
Ahmed also mentioned that Dangote’s diesel product does not meet international standards, a claim that the businessman refuted during an interactive session over the weekend.
In an interview with the online newspaper PREMIUM TIMES, Dangote recounted how a friend he once urged to adopt a patriotic stance towards Nigeria is now among those mocking him.
“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 action 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 emphasised that he invested in the project to help solve a major issue in the country, wondering why some persons were working against him.
“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 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, run the refinery. At least the country will have high-quality products and create jobs,” he added.
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.
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