Business

Dangote: Nigeria Can Become Africa’s Petroleum Refining Power house

Published

2 years ago

October 9, 2024

OCHEFA

457 Views

▪︎Aliko Dangote and Sen Heineken Lokpobiri

The Chairman of the Dangote Refinery and Petrochemical Company Limited, Aliko Dangote, says Nigeria can become a petroleum refining hub in Africa, citing his Refinery and the other private refineries that are coming up in the country.

Dangote affirmed this in his keynote address during a summit held in Lagos by the Crude Oil Refinery Owners Association of Nigeria, (CORAN).

The event attracted top government officials and key stakeholders from the midstream and downstream sectors.

Addressing Nigeria’s potential as a refining hub, Dangote expressed concern that, despite producing over 3.4 million barrels of crude oil per day, Africa imports around 3 million barrels of petroleum products daily.

He noted that these imports, primarily from Europe, Russia, and other regions, were estimated to cost approximately $17 billion in 2023.

Represented by Engr. Mansur Ahmed, Group Executive Director of Dangote Industries Ltd,

Dangote said Nigeria could capitalise on this situation to become a net exporter of refined petroleum products, as the markets would be more competitively served by the country.

“Both the crude oil and the petroleum products will travel shorter distances.

The logistics costs of floating storage will be eliminated, and countries can purchase their petroleum product requirements just in time. Nigeria and Africa can become completely self-sufficient, and we can keep all the value on our shores. We have done it in cement, and we can certainly do it for petroleum products.

“It is worth noting that the Dangote Refinery already produces sufficient diesel and jet fuel to meet Nigeria’s demand. We recently started the production of PMS and will soon ramp up to meet Nigeria’s needs.

”Our refined products have been exported to diverse markets, including Europe, Brazil, the UK, the USA, Singapore, and South Korea,” he added.

He said that Nigeria must develop a refining capacity of 1.5 million barrels per day and prioritise domestic crude supply obligations to seize this opportunity.

At the event, the Chairman of IPPG/Waltersmith Refinery & Petrochemicals Co. Ltd, Abdulrazaq Isa, called on the government to support domestic refiners by ensuring the availability of crude, adhering to domestic crude supply obligations, and implementing effective pricing and monitoring measures to prevent smuggling.

The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Senator Heineken Lopkobiri, assured that the government would continue to refine frameworks to enhance crude production and support domestic refineries.

The Chairman of CORAN’s Board of Trustees and CEO of Integrated Oil & Gas, Captain Emmanuel Iheanacho, retd, said Dangote Oil Refinery had set a high standard by producing Euro-V products, thus protecting citizens from exposure to high-sulphur products.

He noted that transforming Nigeria into a net exporter will bring numerous benefits but reiterated the need for increased investment to boost crude production, lamenting that Nigeria loses approximately $83 billion annually by not meeting its OPEC quota.

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Tony Elumelu’s United Capital Secures approval to operate in Ethiopia

Elumeu lauded the transformational Prime Minister of Ethiopia, His Excellency @AbiyAhmedAli , for promoting economic reforms and regional cooperation, the Director General of Ethiopian Capital Market Authority @CMAEthiopia , Ms. Hana Tehelku, and the team at @UnitedCap on this landmark achievement.

Published

10 hours ago

June 9, 2026

OCHEFA

12 Views

United Capital Group has again secured regulatory approvals to commence operations in Ethiopia.

Its Chairman, Tony Elumelu, broke the news on Tuesday, via his official X.

” This development is particularly noteworthy because Ethiopia only recently opened its financial sector to foreign participation, making United Capital’s entry a historic step for both the company and the ongoing integration of African capital markets,” said Elumelu.

Last month, United Capital commenced operations in Rwanda, marking its formal entry into East Africa and reinforcing its ambition to build a leading continental financial services institution.

The Group’s newly established entities include United Capital Trustees Rwanda Limited, licensed to provide trusteeship services, and United Capital Financial Services Rwanda Limited, licensed to offer investment management services, including portfolio management, investment advisory, capital mobilisation, capital market advisory, and fund management solutions.

With this development, United Capital now operates in 11 countries, including Nigeria, with a strong presence in key African markets, a recent expansion into the eight countries within the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU) region, alongside a growing footprint in East Africa.

According to Elumelu, African institutions are increasingly leading, competing, and succeeding across the continent.

For decades, Africa witnessed foreign capital flowing in while profits largely flowed out.

That narrative is beginning to change.

This is Africapitalism in action — a vision that recognizes the importance of both indigenous and international capital working together to finance Africa’s development and unlock shared prosperity.

Business

Lagos developing world – class new business district —Sanwo-Olu

Sanwo-Olu said Lagos was deliberately building a globally competitive economy driven by innovation, infrastructure and private-sector participation.

Published

13 hours ago

June 9, 2026

OCHEFA

22 Views

• Invest Lagos Summit 3.0: Secretary to the Lagos State Government, ‘Bimbola Salu-Hundeyin (right); Member, House of Representatives, Kafilat Ogbara; Commissioner for Innovation, Science and Technology, Tunbosun Alake; Chairman, Commonwealth Enterprise & Investment Council (CWEIC), Lord Jonathan Marland; Vice President Kashim Shettima; Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu; his Deputy, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat; Commissioner for Commerce, Cooperatives, Trade & Investment, Mrs Folashade Bada Ambrose-Medebem; Deputy Chief of Staff to the Governor, Sam Egube, Dr Toyosi Akerele-Ogunsiji and members of the State Executives Council at the opening of Invest Lagos 3.0, themed: “Lagos – The Business Gateway to Africa”, in Lagos, yesterday.

Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has disclosed that as part of efforts to deepen access to global capital, his administration is developing the Lagos International Financial Centre (LIFC), envisioned as a world-class financial district that would strengthen the state’s position as a gateway for investment into Africa.

Speaking yesterday at the third edition of the Invest Lagos Summit, attended by Vice President Kashim Shettima, other governors, foreign investors, development finance institutions and business leaders, Sanwo-Olu said Lagos was deliberately building a globally competitive economy driven by innovation, infrastructure and private-sector participation.

Sanwo-Olu said that the state had recorded significant economic progress in recent years through targeted reforms across transportation, digital infrastructure and industrial development.

Highlighting key infrastructure achievements, Sanwo-Olu cited investments in road networks, waterways and rail transportation, describing them as critical enablers of economic growth and investor confidence.

The governor noted that Lagos was increasingly serving as a gateway to African markets and global capital, positioning itself at the centre of continental trade under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

According to him, Lagos remains one of the continent’s most strategic economic hubs, with a population exceeding 25 million and a gross domestic product steadily approaching the $300 billion mark.