By Goodluck Ikiebe
Africa’s richest man and owner of Dangote Refinery, Aliko Dangote, has announced August 2024 as the new date to roll out fuel supply into the Nigerian market.
Dangote disclosed this while speaking with journalists in Lagos.
The Oil business mogul noted that the refinery has resolved its crude oil supply issues with the help of the Nigeria National Petroleum Company Limited and the Federal Government.
Dangote disclosed that the crude supply challenge was resolved last week after the Federal Government intervened.
The journalists were being taken on a guided tour of the 650,000-barrel-per-day refinery located at the Lekki Free Trade Zone in Lagos.
Besides fuel supply, he said that the refinery’s fertiliser unit would resume production in two weeks.
This would give farmers more access to fertiliser for their farm products.
The company said in a statement, “Ramping up production to reach 500 kbpd (15 crude cargoes a month) by next August, 550 kbpd by end of the year, and 650 kbpd by Q1 2025.
“Gasoline production to commence in July with sales from August.”
Dangote Refinery was commissioned on May 22, 2023.
Dangote had earlier stated that the facility would commence the supply of fuel in Nigeria in mid-July 2024.
Meanwhile, the company has announced that NNPCL no longer has a 20 per cent but a 7.2 per cent stake in the refinery.
