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Emirates Returns to Nigeria Airspace in Grand Style ▪︎ Lauds FG, Aviation Authority

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Emirates international airline, has resumed passenger services to Lagos, Nigeria, with a daily service.

The official delegation onboard was led by Adil Al Ghaith, Senior Vice President Commercial Operations, Gulf, Middle East and Central Asia; David Broz, Senior Vice President of Aeropoliticaland Airline Industry Affairs and Sami Aqil Abdullah, Senior Vice President Emirates Airport Services Outstation and Business Support.

The official delegation from Nigeria onboard the flight included His Excellency, Festus Keyamo, Honourable Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development of Nigeria; His Excellency, Zayyan Ibrahim, Consul General of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in Dubai and the Northern Emirates and Adewale Babtunde Awolesi Head of Chancery, Consulate General of Nigeria. 

Soon after it landed, the airline hosted an exclusive event for VIPs, government officials, key representatives from Nigeria’s Civil Aviation Authority, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, Customs, Police and the Airforce, as well as trade and industry partners and corporate clients.

Commenting on the return of services, Adnan Kazim, Deputy President and Chief Commercial Officer, Emirates Airline said, “This has been a long-awaited moment, and we are excited to resume operations to Lagos, helping reconnect travellers seamlessly to and through Dubai, coupled with a consistent, world-class experience onboard.

We would like to thank the Nigerian authorities, including the Federal Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development and the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, as well as the UAE authorities including His Excellency Salem Saeed Al Shamsi, Ambassador of the United Arab Emirates, Abuja, Nigeria and His Excellency Dr Abdulla Almandoos, Consulate General of the United Arab Emirates in Lagos, for their support.

“We are committed to making this route a success and look forward to contributing to the Nigerian aviation industry’s growth and offering travellers and businesses more choice and connectivity to key destination across our network.”

His Excellency, Festus Keyamo, Honourable Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development of Nigeria said: “We are pleased to welcome Emirates back to Nigeria.

Emirates has become a global brand and Nigeria, being the most populous black nation in the world, is the sure destination for all major airlines in the world.

“So, this is a mutually beneficial relationship and we look forward to many years of seamless operations for the designated airlines of both countries to ply the route.”

EK783 departs Dubai at 0945hrs, arriving in Lagos at 1520hrs; the return flight EK784 takes off from Lagos at 1730hrs and lands in Dubai at 0510hrs the following day. The daily service has been scheduled to optimise connections to and from key points in Europe, the US, the Far East and the wider Middle East and GCC, streamlining business and leisure travel to and from Nigeria.

The Dubai-Lagos service is operated with a Boeing 777-300ER, offering eight First class suites, 42 Business class seats and 304 economy class seats, with added comforts and perks in each cabin class.

Strengthening business links between UAE and Nigeria
With the resumption of operations to Lagos, Emirates provides frictionless connectivity to one of Africa’s major economic hubs, facilitating global trade and strengthening business ties, in line with the UAE and Nigeria’s strong bilateral trade relations.

Emirates SkyCargo will support Nigerian businesses by offering more than 300 tonnes of bellyhold cargo capacity in and out of Lagos every week, into key markets such as UAE, Malaysia, Hong Kong, and Bahrain, among others.

Anticipated commodities such as Kola Nuts, food and beverages, and urgent courier material will be transported via the airline’s state-of-the-art hub in Dubai, quickly, efficiently, and reliably via the airline’s multi-vertical specialized product portfolio.

Imports into Nigeria are anticipated from key markets such as UAE, India and Hong Kong, with key commodities including a mix of general cargo, pharmaceuticals and electronics.

The Dubai-Lagos service is operated with a Boeing 777-300ER, offering eight First class suites, 42 Business class seats and 304 economy class seats, with added comforts and perks in each cabin class.

Emirates is one of only two airlines offering First Class in and out of Lagos, and offers an unrivalled experience with luxurious touches, a premium gastronomic selection of dishes and fine beverages, and one of the biggest screens in the sky, all in midst of comfort and privacy.

Offering the best experience across every class, passengers will dine on regionally inspired multi-course menus, complemented by a wide selection of premium beverages.

Customers can tune in to over 6,500 channels of global entertainment, including 23 Nigerian movies, series and other content on ice, Emirates’ award-winning inflight entertainment system.

To support travel to Dubai or onwards, Emirates will also facilitate 48 hour and 96 hour Dubai visa applications for travellers from Nigeria, an offer which is exclusive to the airline.

Celebrating the resumption of services, Emirates award-winning loyalty programme, Skywards, reinstated previous tier status levels for Skywards members to ensure continuation of earned benefits and recognition.

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CPPE Tasks Govt to Fix Cost of Living Crisis Amid GDP Growth

Reacting on Nigeria’s third quarter 2025 Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth of 3.98 percent , CPPE said that it’s laudable, but called for policy interventions to fix the cost of living crisis.

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The Center for the Promotion of Private Enterprises (CPPE) tasks the government to ensure that GDP Growth and macroeconomic stability translate into real improvements in citizens’ welfare.

Reacting on Nigeria’s third quarter 2025 Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth of 3.98 percent , CPPE said that it’s laudable, but called for policy interventions to fix the cost of living crisis.

Dr Muda Yusuf, CEO of the CPPE, notes that despite the improvment in the GDP, the cost-of-living crisis remains a concern .

He said: ” While disinflation is underway and prices of some food items and manufactured products are easing, the social outcomes of economic reforms continue to weigh on households.

” It is therefore imperative for policymaking to prioritise targeted interventions to address the uneasiness around the cost of living and ensure that GDP Growth and macroeconomic stability translate into real improvements in citizens’ welfare—particularly for vulnerable groups.”

To consolidate the gains recorded in Q3 and unlock stronger, more inclusive growth, Dr Yusuf, said that the following policy interventions are critical:

Reduce Structural Bottlenecks

Address energy supply constraints, reduce logistics costs, improve port efficiency, and accelerate transport infrastructure development.

Mitigate the Cost-of-Living Crisis

Implement targeted social interventions and remove structural impediments that elevate consumer prices.

All tiers of government [local, state and federal] must sustain targeted interventions in agriculture, pharmaceuticals, transportation and energy to fix the cost of living crisis.  

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Dangote Targets Nigeria Festive Season Monthly Supply of 1.5 billion litres of PMS

This represents 50 million litres per day. We are formally notifying the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) of this commitment.

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Dangote Petroleum Refinery says that it has concluded arrangements to supply over 50 million litres of petrol per day into the Nigerian market this festive season (December to January).

The company said that the decision was taken to ensure that there is no shortage of the product during the festive season.

This translates to 1.5 billion litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) for the month of December.

The same amount of product will also be supplied in January 2026, it was added.

President and Chief Executive of Dangote Industries Limited, Aliko Dangote, announced the plans.

Dangote said: “In line with our commitment to national well-being, and consistent with our track record of ensuring a holiday season free of fuel scarcity, the Dangote Petroleum Refinery will supply 1.5 billion litres of PMS to the Nigerian market this month.

This represents 50 million litres per day. We are formally notifying the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) of this commitment.

We will supply another 1.5 billion litres in January and increase to 1.75 billion litres in February, which translates to over 60 million litres per day.”

Speaking during a visit by the South-South Development Commission (SSDC) to the refinery and the Dangote Fertiliser complex, he stated that the facility currently has adequate stock and is producing between 40 and 45 million litres of PMS daily.

He added that the daily supply of 50 million litres should dispel long-standing claims that domestic refineries lack the capacity to meet national demand.

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Dangote Partners Honeywell International to Boost Refinery Capacity to 1.4 million barrels per day

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Dangote Refinery, Africa’s largest single-train petroleum refinery, has signed a landmark contract with U.S. industrial giant Honeywell International to execute a significant capacity upgrade that will boost the facility’s crude processing capability from the current 650,000 barrels per day to an ambitious 1.4 million barrels per day.

The multi-billion-dollar project, described by sources close to the deal as one of the largest refinery expansion initiatives globally in recent years, will involve the installation of advanced process units, automation systems, and energy-efficiency technologies supplied and integrated by Honeywell UOP and Honeywell Process Solutions.

Aliko Dangote, President and CEO of Dangote Industries Limited, confirmed the partnership, stating: “This strategic collaboration with Honeywell will position the Dangote Refinery as one of the top five largest refineries in the world by capacity.

The upgrade will not only enhance our ability to meet Nigeria’s complete refined products demand but also establish the refinery as a major export hub for gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, and petrochemicals across Africa and beyond.

”The expansion is expected to be implemented in phases, with key units including additional crude distillation, hydrocracking, and catalytic reforming modules.

Honeywell’s proprietary technologies are anticipated to improve yield of high-value products while reducing energy consumption and emissions.Upon completion, the 1.4 million bpd Dangote Refinery will surpass the current global top-tier facilities such as Reliance Industries’ Jamnagar Refinery (1.24 million bpd) and Paraguay’s planned 1.2 million bpd project, cementing its status as the world’s largest single-train refinery.

The project is expected to create thousands of direct and indirect jobs during the construction and commissioning phases and further reduce Nigeria’s dependence on imported refined petroleum products.

A spokesperson for Honeywell confirmed the award, saying the company was “honored to partner with Dangote on this transformative project that will reshape the African downstream landscape.

”Detailed timelines and the exact value of the contract were not disclosed, but industry analysts estimate the expansion could exceed $5–7 billion in total investment.

The statement said: Dangote Group is pleased to announce that it has entered into a strategic partnership with Honeywell International Inc to support the next phase of expansion of the Dangote Petroleum Refinery.

This collaboration will provide advanced technology and services that will enable the refinery to increase its processing capacity to 1.4 million barrels per day by 2028, marking a major milestone in our long-term vision to build the world’s largest petroleum refining complex.

Through this agreement, Honeywell will supply specialised catalysts, equipment, and process technologies that will allow the refinery to process a broader slate of crude grades efficiently and to further enhance product quality and operational reliability.

Honeywell, a global Fortune 100 industrial and technology company, offers a wide portfolio of solutions across aviation, automotive, industrial automation, and advanced materials.

Honeywell’s division UOP has been a technology partner to Dangote since 2017, providing proprietary refining systems, catalyst regeneration equipment, high performance column trays, and heat exchanger technologies that support our best-in-class operations.

Dangote Group is also advancing its petrochemical footprint. As part of the wider collaboration, we are scaling our polypropylene capacity to 2.4 million metric tons annually using Honeywell’s Oleflex technology.

Polypropylene is a key industrial material widely used across packaging, manufacturing, and automotive applications.In addition to refining expansion, Dangote Group is progressing with the next phase of its fertiliser growth plan in Nigeria. We will increase our urea production capacity from 3 million metric tons to 9 million metric tons annually.

The existing plant consists of two trains of 1.5 million metric tons each. The expansion will add four additional trains to meet growing demand for high-quality fertiliser across Africa and global markets.

Dangote Group remains fully committed to delivering world-class industrial capacity, strengthening Nigeria’s energy security, and driving sustainable economic growth through long-term investment, innovation, and strategic global partnerships.

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