Aliko Dangote, President of the Dangote Group, has claimed that products refined at the Dangote Petroleum Refinery & Petrochemicals surpass imported equivalents in quality, meeting international standards. During a tour of the refinery and the Dangote Fertiliser Limited complex by House of Representatives members, tests revealed that Dangote’s diesel had significantly lower sulphur content compared to samples from local filling stations.
Dangote challenged recent assertions by Farouk Ahmed, CEO of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Authority, who claimed imported diesel was superior. Lab results showed Dangote’s diesel had a sulphur content of 87.6 ppm, far below the 1,800 ppm and 2,000 ppm found in the imported samples, contradicting Ahmed’s claims that domestic refineries produce higher sulphur content diesel.
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Highlighting concerns over the health and financial impacts of high-sulphur diesel imports, Dangote emphasized the need for transparency and rigorous testing of products directly from filling stations. The VP of Gas and Oil at Dangote Industries, Devakumar Edwin, noted that European countries have banned high-sulphur diesel exports to West Africa due to its carcinogenic effects, supporting Dangote’s quality claims.
Speaker Tajudeen Abbas expressed admiration for the refinery's infrastructure, describing it as a significant asset in Nigeria's pursuit of self-sufficiency in petroleum products. The House of Representatives plans to investigate the quality of imported refined products, with Abbas praising the refinery's role in enhancing energy security and sustainability in Nigeria.
