FG by-passes Dangote Refinery, exports crude to Indonesia

Rabiu Umar, the Group Chief Commercial Officer at Dangote Industries Limited, has criticized the Nigerian government’s decision to export crude oil to Indonesia while neglecting the Dangote Refinery.

In an interview with Channels Television on Monday, Umar highlighted that despite the 650,000 barrels per day capacity of the Dangote Refinery, it is not receiving adequate crude oil supply from Nigeria.

“While we are importing cargoes from abroad, most of the crude from Nigeria is sold to Indonesia. Does it make sense to take cargo from Nigeria to sell to Indonesia and then import the same finished product back to Nigeria? It does not make sense to me,” Umar stated.

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He expressed hope for improved crude oil supply to domestic refineries and reiterated that the Dangote Refinery will commence domestic fuel supply in August 2024.

This development comes amidst a recent conflict between the Dangote Refinery and the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) over alleged substandard products.

Last week, Farouk Ahmed, the CEO of NMDPRA, claimed that Dangote products were inferior.

However, Rabiu Umar clarified that Dangote Refinery products are not substandard, but among the best in the world.

Aliko Dangote, the owner of the refinery, also dismissed Ahmed’s statement, defending the quality of their products.