The Federal Government has commended the Dangote Petroleum Refinery for its outstanding engineering achievements and significant investment in developing young Nigerian talent.
Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Jumoke Oduwole, praised the refinery’s dual focus on world-class infrastructure and exceptional investment in human capital during an official visit to the state-of-the-art facility in Lagos.
Speaking during a tour of the refinery, the Minister expressed admiration not only for the vast scale of the physical infrastructure, describing it as “bricks, mortar, and pipelines of extraordinary ambition”, but also for the calibre of talent operating it.
Dr. Oduwole said, “We are not just appreciating the scale of the infrastructure: the bricks, mortar, and pipelines.
“We are equally impressed by the investment in human capital. It is deeply inspiring to see young Nigerians, many of whom have never left the country, operating world-class equipment with remarkable skill and professionalism, ” she said.
Oduwole further expressed admiration for the caliber of talent operating the refinery, highlighting the remarkable skill and professionalism of young Nigerian engineers.
The Minister, also a senior university lecturer, highlighted the significance of such a development in the context of national capacity-building.
“As a lecturer myself, I take great pride in witnessing their excellence in engineering. It is nothing short of exceptional,” she added.
She also praised Aliko Dangote for his continued commitment to industrial transformation in Nigeria.
“Listening to Alhaji Dangote speak about this project is always a source of inspiration.
”This is not just a refinery it is a bold statement of what is possible. This is Lagos, Nigeria, and there is truly nowhere else in the world with a facility of this kind at this scale”, she added.
Vice President, Oil & Gas at Dangote Industries Limited, Mr Edwin Devakumar, highlighted the world-class capabilities of the 650,000 barrels per day (bpd) Dangote Petroleum Refinery, during a presentation to the Minister.
According to Devakumar, the refinery produces Euro-V quality petrol, diesel, jet fuel, and polypropylene, meeting 100 per cent of Nigeria’s domestic demand for refined petroleum products, with surplus available for export.
He emphasised that the refinery incorporates the latest technologies to ensure environmental compliance while delivering clean, globally competitive fuels.
He noted that the refinery included a fully self-sufficient marine terminal for crude oil offtake and product loading, as well as an integrated steam and power generation system with a 435MW capacity enough to supply the entire electricity demand of the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company, which covers Oyo, Ogun, Osun, Kwara, and Ekiti.
“We are one of the very few companies in the world to have executed both a petroleum refinery and a petrochemical complex directly as an EPC contractor.
“We sent engineers for overseas training and employed around 60,000 skilled Nigerians during construction, offering them valuable experience in various aspects of construction, testing, and commissioning, ” he said.
Devakumar added that many of the Nigerian engineers, technicians, and others trained by the company were now working as expatriates not just across Africa, but as far afield as the United Arab Emirates, contributing to Nigeria’s foreign remittance inflow.
The said that refinery’s vast scale and physical infrastructure were described as “bricks, mortar, and pipelines of extraordinary ambition”.
He assured of Aliko Dangote’s commitment to industrial transformation in Nigeria was lauded, with the Minister describing the refinery as a “bold statement of what is possible”.
The Dangote Petroleum Refinery has a capacity of 650,000 barrels per day (bpd), producing Euro-V quality petrol, diesel, jet fuel, and polypropylene.
