Chairman of the Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, has announced that Nigeria will no longer need to import gasoline starting next month, thanks to the Dangote Refinery's production plans.
Dangote also stated that the refinery can meet West Africa's petrol and diesel needs, as well as the continent's aviation fuel demand.
Speaking at the Africa CEO Forum Annual Summit in Kigali on Friday, Dangote expressed optimism about transforming Africa's energy landscape.
"Right now, Nigeria has no cause to import anything apart from gasoline and by sometime in June, within the next four or five weeks, Nigeria shouldn't import anything like gasoline; not one drop of a litre," he declared.
Dangote outlined the progress made by the oil company to ensure that Africa becomes self-sufficient in the energy sector.
The refinery, which has a capacity of 650,000 barrels per day, is expected to produce polypropylene, polyethene, base oil, and linear benzyl to meet Africa's demand for these raw materials. Dangote also aims to make Africa self-sufficient in fertilizer production within the next three to four years.
Despite the challenges faced in building the refinery, including pushback from those accustomed to the status quo, Dangote remained determined to succeed.
Dangote identified policy inconsistency as a major challenge for African entrepreneurs and called for a review and support from leaders to ensure proper ease of trading on the continent. He emphasized the importance of moving from exporting raw materials to producing finished products and creating jobs in Africa.
The Dangote Refinery, which began operations in February, is expected to play a significant role in transforming Nigeria's energy landscape and reducing the country's reliance on imported petroleum products.
