The Federal Government has praised the Dangote Petroleum Refinery for its remarkable engineering accomplishments and substantial investment in nurturing young Nigerian talent.
Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Jumoke Oduwole, commended the refinery for its commitment to both world-class infrastructure and the development of human capital during an official visit to the cutting-edge facility in Lagos.
During the tour, the Minister expressed her admiration for the impressive scale of the project, describing it as “bricks, mortar, and pipelines of extraordinary ambition,” while also highlighting the high level of expertise demonstrated by the professionals running the facility.
“We are not just appreciating the scale of the infrastructure: the bricks, mortar, and pipelines,” the Minister said. “We are equally impressed by the investment in human capital. It is deeply inspiring to see young Nigerians, many of whom have never left the country, operating world-class equipment with remarkable skill and professionalism.”
The Minister, a senior university lecturer, highlighted the significance of such a development in the context of national capacity-building. “As a lecturer myself, I take great pride in witnessing their excellence in engineering. It is nothing short of exceptional,” he added.
She also praised Aliko Dangote for his continued commitment to industrial transformation in Nigeria.
“Listening to Alhaji Dangote speak about this project is always a source of inspiration. This is not just a refinery—it is a bold statement of what is possible. This is Lagos, Nigeria, and there is truly nowhere else in the world with a facility of this kind at this scale.”
Vice President, Oil & Gas at Dangote Industries Limited, Mr Edwin Devakumar, highlighted the world-class capabilities of the 650,000 barrels per day (bpd) Dangote Petroleum Refinery, during a presentation to the Minister.
According to Devakumar, the refinery produces Euro-V quality petrol, diesel, jet fuel, and polypropylene, meeting 100% of Nigeria’s domestic demand for refined petroleum products, with surplus available for export. He emphasised that the refinery incorporates the latest technologies to ensure environmental compliance while delivering clean, globally competitive fuels.
He noted that the refinery includes a fully self-sufficient marine terminal for crude oil offtake and product loading, as well as an integrated steam and power generation system with a 435MW capacity—enough to supply the entire electricity demand of the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company, which covers Oyo, Ogun, Osun, Kwara, and Ekiti.
“We are one of the very few companies in the world to have executed both a petroleum refinery and a petrochemical complex directly as an EPC contractor,” he said. “We sent engineers for overseas training and employed around 60,000 skilled Nigerians during construction, offering them valuable experience in various aspects of construction, testing, and commissioning.”
Devakumar noted that numerous Nigerian engineers, technicians, and other professionals trained by the company are now serving as expatriates not only across Africa but also in countries like the United Arab Emirates, thereby contributing to Nigeria’s foreign remittance inflows.
Both the Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Dangote Fertiliser Limited have received widespread recognition for their dedication to employing and developing Nigerian engineering talent.
In a recent commendation, the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), led by Executive Secretary Engr. Felix Omatsola Ogbe, applauded the company’s efforts in building local engineering capacity. Likewise, a coalition of engineering bodies in Nigeria—including the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), the Nigerian Academy of Engineering (NAE), the Association of Consulting Engineering in Nigeria (ACEN), and the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN)—expressed their appreciation during a visit to the facilities. The delegation specifically praised the active involvement of Nigerian engineers in the construction, commissioning, and operations of the plants.