Nigeria’s Information and culture Minister Alhaji Lai Mohammed says the 650,000 barrels per day Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemical Project will reinforce Nigeria’s standing on the global oil and gas map.
The Minister disclosed on Sunday in Lagos, South West Nigeria where the facility is located while touring the sprawling complexes of the refinery and the fertilizer plant.
Arrival of the Honorable Minister of Information & Culture, Alh Lai Mohammed to @DangoteGroup #RefineryPlant pic.twitter.com/M1vJMSDF5U
— Fed Min of Info & Cu (@FMICNigeria) April 3, 2022
Video: @DangoteGroup #DangoteFertiliserPlant pic.twitter.com/d6C7X4KvTt
— Fed Min of Info & Cu (@FMICNigeria) April 3, 2022
According to the Minister, the coming on stream of the Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals as well as the Dangote Fertilizer Plant will also help to ensure energy and food security in the country.
“We must not fail to appreciate the fact that it’s not just that we will be self-sufficient in terms of food security and energy security, but the quality of our refined products and fertilizer will be world-class,’’ he said.
Basically, the Dangote Petroleum Refinery that is designed to transform crude oil into various usable petroleum products such as diesel, gasoline, jet fuel and kerosene will ensure the availability of the highest quality Euro V Grade petroleum products.
The Pipeline Infrastructure at the #DangoteRefinery is the largest anywhere in the world, with 1,100 kilometers to handle 3 Billion Standard Cubic Foot of gas per day. pic.twitter.com/Mhb6rJtWEN
— Fed Min of Info & Cu (@FMICNigeria) April 3, 2022
Also, from the side of fertilizer, the fertilizer plant is producing granulated urea, which is of the highest quality and which does not become sticky and cause loss of value to the farmers.
The Minister said the 650,000 barrels per day Dangote Refinery, which is expected to be commissioned by the last quarter of this year, will be a game changer in terms of employment generation, contribution to the GDP and conservation of foreign exchange.
“Gentlemen, based on what we have heard here today with regards to the 650,000 barrels per day Dangote Refinery, it would be a game changer once it comes on stream in terms of employment generation. The refinery as of today employs 35,000 people every day.
“There will be huge value addition that will contribute to the increase in GDP, conservation of foreign exchange as there will be no more importation of petroleum products, generation of foreign exchange through export of finished product, availability of petroleum products thus ending petrol queues, and attraction of foreign capital investments,” the Minister said.
He said the Dangote Fertilizer Plant, which was commissioned by President Muhammadu Buhari last month, has made Nigeria the leading producer of urea in Africa.
“With the coming on stream of the Dangote Fertilizer Plant, Nigeria is now self-sufficient in the production of urea. In fact, Nigeria is now the leading producer of urea in Africa. The Dangote Fertilizer plant is already exporting to the US, India, Brazil, Mexico and Argentina. We were fortunate to witness a ship being loaded with urea for export to Argentina during our visit today,” Alhaji Mohammed said.
Currently the fertilizer plant provides 1,500 direct jobs and 15,000 indirect jobs and the Minister submitted that the Federal Government will continue to create the enabling environment for businesses to thrive.
“Under this Administration, the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC) has implemented over 150 reforms, moving Nigeria up 39 places on the World Bank Doing Business index since 2016. Mr. President also signed the Companies and Allied Matters Act, 2020 (CAMA 2020) – Nigeria’s most significant business legislation in three decades.
“The result of this favourable business environment is the birth of new businesses such as the $2.5 billion Dangote Fertilizer Plant that will produce 3 million metric tonnes of urea every year; the 650,000 barrels per day oil refinery due to open later this year; Lekki Deep Sea Port, one of the most modern sea ports in West Africa; BUA’s 3 million metric tonnes cement plant; the 5,000 barrels per day Modular Refinery in Ibigwe, Imo State, and three more modular refineries to be commissioned before May 2023 in Edo and Bayelsa states, just to mention a few,” he said.
The Executive Director, Strategy Capital Projects and Portfolio Development, Dangote Group, Mr. Devakumar Edwin, who conducted the Minister round the two complexes, said 75% hydraulic testing of the refinery as well as 70% of electrical cable fitting have been completed preparatory to the completion of the refinery in the fourth quarter of this year.
The Refinery will meet 100% of the Nigerian requirement of all refined products and also have a surplus of each of these products for export. Dangote Petroleum Refinery is a multi-billion dollar project that will create a market for $11 Billion per annum of Nigerian Crude. pic.twitter.com/ox7wXeAXzv
— Fed Min of Info & Cu (@FMICNigeria) April 3, 2022
He said the refinery, which boasts of 4.742 billion litres storage capacity, will serve as a strategic reserve for the country. Mr. Edwin said 75% of the products of the refinery (petrol, kerosene, aviation fuel and diesel) will be dispatched through the sea, by which products could be transported to Calabar, Warri, Lagos and Port-Harcourt. The refinery is being built at a cost of $19 billion while the fertilizer plant costs $2.5 Billion.
The 650,000 barrels per day capacity refinery which covers an area of approximately 2,635 hectares and the 3.0 million metric tonnes fertilizer plant which is Africa’s largest Granulated Urea plant occupies 500 hectares.
