Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, MAN, has solicited the support of both Nigerians and the government for Dangote Refinery to enable it perform optimally.
The support the association said, would serve as an impetus for other investors to invest in the downstream sector of the petroleum industry in the country.
The president of MAN, Otunba Francis Meshioye, who made the call after a tour of Dangote Petroleum Refinery, Petrol Chemical Complex and Fertilizer Plant, advocated that Nigerians and the government should do all they could to support the multi-billion-dollar company, which he described as a source of pride and a gift not only to Nigeria but also to the African continent and the whole world.
He described Dangote Refinery as a game-changer in the Nigerian oil and gas industry, saying that it was not only creating jobs and driving economic growth but also contributing to the nation’s energy security and self-sufficiency.
According to him, the project is quite inspiring, and he admired the inspiration of the promoter of the project, Aliko Dangote.
He said: “To have been inspired to establish this facility is very magnificent, it is the first ever in Africa and the first ever of such refinery in the whole world. It has many first, first and first.
“The company has the capacity to produce all our needs locally, petroleum, and other similar products: no one would come to the facility and would not be inspired or encouraged to ensure that all the support that the company required should be given to it.”
The MAN president said the government should do all that was humanly possible to ensure that the facility works optimally utilized.
“It is prudent and expedient that the necessary support are given to the company for the economic benefits of Nigeria,” he said, adding, “If the facility can produce 650,000 barrels of crude per day and Nigeria is producing far above this volume per day, she should give the facility all the crude it needed to produce.”
He said, apart from the fact that the facility could give Nigerians what they needed locally, the excess would be exported, and when they were exported, the country benefitted because it would earn foreign exchange for the government.
“So, whichever way we look at it, the facility requires the government’s support to be able to operate optimally. We have seen the laboratory which is in a class of its own. It is first among equals around the world. It is functioning very well. It is a complex on its own.
“With this kind of facility that starts from quality control to quality assurance, just to ensure that the harmful effects of the products are at zero level, what can be greater than this? This is very unique and I will encourage all stakeholders to give maximum support, and not by the way support, but maximum support.
“I cannot see anything that is lacking in this company, we have been here since morning and went through all the units. The facility can deliver products between 1760 trucks to 1800 trucks per day. So if you have such several trucks going out of the facility a day to various destinations in Nigeria, so many people will benefit from it. There will be more jobs, many families will be comfortable because of the jobs this will create, many artisans will benefit and it will have a spillover effect on so many sectors of the economy.
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“If they can produce AGO, gasoline and Jet A fuel, this is good and the government should have no reason not to ensure the facility gets its backing to carry out its activities, because it is going to benefit massively.”
The MAN boss who stated that his association was an advocacy group, said to a large extent it would support the Dangote Refinery by pushing its case with the government, and also solicit the support of necessary government agencies that could ensure that it operated fully.
The association, he said, always discussed with the government issues that affected its members and it had always listened to it, and always found solutions to those issues.
He stated further that Dangote Refinery’s case would not be different.
“The sheer scale and ambition of this project is truly impressive, and we applaud the vision and determination of the Dangote Group in making this refinery a reality,” he added.
“As manufacturers, we understand the importance of reliable and affordable energy in driving our businesses forward. The Dangote Refinery will undoubtedly have a positive impact on the entire manufacturing value chain, providing a reliable source of fuel and petrochemical products that are essential for capacity utilisation and value addition.
“I believe that the success of the Dangote Refinery serves as an inspiration to all of us in the manufacturing sector. It demonstrates what is possible when we combine innovation, technology, and investment to create world-class facilities that benefit the entire nation,” he said.
