Nigeria’s oil marketers have criticized Aliko Dangote, President of Dangote Group, for creating issues with key players in the oil and gas sector that could jeopardize the success of his refinery, which is set to process 650,000 barrels per day.
Billy Gillis-Harry, the National President of the Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Owners Association of Nigeria, shared these concerns in an exclusive interview with Daily Post on Monday.
The comments follow a dispute between Dangote Refinery and the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) over the allocation of 26 million barrels of crude oil.
Gillis-Harry explained that the Lagos-based refinery cannot begin operations without adequate crude supplies. He emphasized that it is impractical for Dangote Refinery to be allocated such a large quantity of crude when other domestic refineries are also in need.
He called for a round-table discussion among all stakeholders to address the challenges facing Nigeria’s oil and gas industry.
“He has created conflicts with those who should help resolve the crude supply issues,” Gillis-Harry said. “Without resolving the crude oil crisis, it is unlikely that the refinery can start refining petrol.”
He further questioned the feasibility of allocating 26 million barrels to Dangote Refinery, given that it is not yet fully licensed. “All parties need to come together and find solutions,” he concluded.
