Minister Moves To Broker Peace Between Dangote, Regulators

The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, has intervened in the tussle between the President of the Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote and the supervising agencies in the oil and gas industry over issues surrounding the Dangote Refinery.

On Monday in Abuja, Lokpobiri met with Dangote and the heads of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) and the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL).

This followed accusations and counter accusations by Dangote and the agencies over alleged plans to sabotage the refinery by denying it of feed stock for production.

Dangote had alleged that the International Oil Companies (IOCs) in Nigeria were actively trying to undermine the Dangote Oil Refinery and Petrochemicals.

He had claimed that the IOCs were intentionally obstructing the refinery’s efforts towards purchasing local crude by inflating premium prices above market rates, compelling the refinery to import crude from distant countries like the United States, leading to significantly higher costs.

The NMDPRA, on its part, had alleged that the Dangote Refinery was producing inferior products compared to imported ones.

Farouk Ahmed, the head of the NMDPRA, had said that the quality of diesel produced by Dangote was 665 ppm, which he considered inferior.

The exchanges by the parties have elicited public criticisms, with many Nigerians urging the federal government to act in the interest of the nation.

In a statement on Monday night, the Special Adviser on Media and Communication to Lokpobiri, Nneamaka Okafor, said: “The stakeholders expressed their gratitude to the minister for his exemplary leadership and timely intervention in facilitating this crucial dialogue.

“The meeting focused on finding a sustainable and lasting solution to the current impasse affecting the Dangote Refinery, with all parties demonstrating a commitment to collaborative and proactive problem-solving”, he added.

Okafor stated that the minister emphasised the importance of cooperation and synergy among all stakeholders to ensure the success and optimal performance of the oil and gas sector, “which is pivotal for Nigeria’s economic growth and energy security.”

He said the meeting marked a significant step towards resolving the challenges.