Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, has refuted allegations that refined petroleum products from his refinery, including diesel, are substandard.
Dangote made this clarification on Saturday during a visit and tour of his refinery at the Lekki Free Trade Zone in Lagos, led by the leadership of the House of Representatives. The delegation included Speaker Tajudeen Abbas, Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu, and Hon. Ikenga Ugochinyere, according to a report by Channels TV.
The industrialist responded to a statement by Farouk Ahmed, Chief Executive of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Authority, who alleged that the diesel produced by the $20 billion Dangote refinery is inferior to imported products.
Dangote, reacting to the claims, urged the House of Representatives to investigate the quality of petrol and diesel sold at petrol stations. He requested the formation of a committee to test products at various filling stations nationwide.
Dangote also denounced allegations that inferior products from his refinery are damaging cars and engines. He urged the House to examine the quality of the laboratories used for testing imports and compare them with those at the Dangote Refinery.
He further dismissed claims that his group of companies enjoys a monopoly. “If you look at all our operations at Dangote (Group), we add value; we take local raw materials and turn them into products, and we sell,” he stated.
“We have never consciously or unconsciously stopped anybody from doing the same business that we are doing. When we first came into cement production, it was only Lafarge that was operating here in Nigeria… Nobody ever called Lafarge a monopoly,” he added, labeling the monopoly accusations as disheartening.
“Monopoly is when you stop people, you block them through legal means. No, it is a level playing field whereby whatever Dangote was given in cement, for example, other people were given because some of them even got more than us,” Dangote emphasized.
Dangote also clarified that his refinery did not receive any incentives from the Federal Government. “In the refinery, we did not, and I repeat, we did not collect one single incentive from the Federal Government of Nigeria or even Lagos State. Yes, the Lagos State gave us a good deal but we paid $100 million for the land. It wasn’t a free land; we paid for it,” he asserted.
“Majority of the population are with us. So, we are not discouraged, we will continue what we are doing,” he added.
Addressing Speaker Abbas, Dangote said, “The most important thing, your excellency, is to note that the imported one they are encouraging, is the spec in test, but in certain cases when you check (independently), different results will show. This is because those people who have the lab have been told what to write.”
He emphasized that the best way to determine the quality of products being imported and sold to Nigerians is by purchasing and testing them directly from filling stations.
In response, Speaker Abbas stated, “I don’t know how we have this contradiction of two players representing the public and private sector. I think it is something we need to investigate further to find out if there are ulterior motives.”
