Nigeria’s Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has said the coming on stream of the Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals as well as the Dangote Fertilizer Plant will help to ensure energy and food security in Nigeria.
Speaking during the tour of the refinery and the fertilizer plants in Ibeju-Lekki, in Lagos on Sunday, Mohammed said: “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.’’
Alhaji Mohammed, who was accompanied by journalists, explained that while the refinery will ensure the availability of the highest quality Euro V Grade petroleum products, 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.
He said that the 650,000 barrels per day Dangote Refinery, which is expected to be commissioned this year, would 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 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 everyday.
“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.
According to the Minister, 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,” Mohammed said.
He said currently the fertilizer plant provides 1,500 direct jobs and 15,000 indirect jobs.
The statement by Mr. Segun Adeyemi, Special Assistant to the Minister of Information on Media, said that the Minister, who commended the President of Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, for boosting investor confidence in Nigeria, stated that the Nigerian Government would continue to create the enabling environment for businesses to thrive.
It added that the Executive Director, Strategy Capital Projects and Portfolio Development, Dangote Group, Mr. Devakumar Edwin, who conducted the Minister round the two complexes, said that 75% hydraulic testing of the refinery as well as 70% of electrical cable fitting had been completed preparatory to the completion of the refinery in the fourth quarter of this year.
He said that the refinery, which boasts of 4.742 billion litres storage capacity, would serve as a strategic reserve for the country.
Mr. Edwin said 75% of the products of the refinery (petrol, kerosene, aviation fuel and diesel) would 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.
