In recent weeks, the Dangote refinery has shipped Premium Motor Spirit (petrol) to Cameroon, Angola, Ghana, and South Africa.
Devakumar Edwin, the vice president of oil and gas at Dangote Industries Limited, made this announcement while hosting a group from the Japanese business community in Nigeria, which was headed by Suzuki Hideo, Japan’s ambassador-designate to Nigeria.
In a statement on Sunday, the company’s spokesman, Anthony Chiejina, quoted Edwin as confirming that products from the refinery meet international standards and are already being exported globally.
“In recent weeks, we’ve exported petrol to Cameroon, Ghana, Angola, and South Africa, among others. Diesel has gone all over the world, and jet fuel is being heavily exported to European markets. Our products are already making their mark internationally,” Edwin said.
Edwin explained that the facility is the vision of a Nigerian investor – Aliko Dangote, designed and built by Nigerians, and intended to serve the global market.
He said it is a point of pride that a Nigerian company not only designed but also built the world’s largest single-train refinery complex.
According to him, Dangote Industries Limited acted as the Engineering, Procurement, and Construction contractor for the refinery, saying cutting-edge technologies from around the world were incorporated to ensure that the facility meets the highest standards.
Edwin assured the ambassador-designate and the delegation that the company is open to collaboration, always striving to maintain the best possible standards.
“Even now, we have a lot of Japanese equipment inside both the refinery and the fertiliser plant. There are significant opportunities for collaboration, as we always seek the latest technology in any business we engage in. For instance, our cement plant laboratory is managed by robots, and we always embrace advanced technology. With Japan’s focus on technological innovation, there is ample scope for cooperation and for supplying various types of technology,” he said.
Edwin also stated that the Dangote Petrochemical project will significantly boost investment in downstream industries, creating substantial value, generating employment, increasing tax revenues, reducing foreign exchange outflows, and contributing to Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product.
He added that by leveraging Africa’s vast crude oil resources to produce refined products locally, the Dangote Group aims to create a virtuous cycle of industrial development, job creation, and economic prosperity.
He reiterated that the refinery’s petroleum products are in demand worldwide, as it expands its polypropylene section to reduce Nigeria’s reliance on imported polypropylene, a crucial material used in packaging, textiles, and the automotive manufacturing industries.
The statement disclosed that the Japanese delegation hailed the refinery and the petrochemicals complex, describing it as an astonishing masterpiece, showcasing Nigeria’s technological advancements on the global stage.
The Japanese delegation, which toured the facilities housing both the Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals as well as Dangote Fertilisers, commended the technology, noting that it reinforces Nigeria’s role as the gateway to Africa.
Managing Director of the Japan External Trade Organisation, Takashi Oku, was said to have remarked that while Nigeria remains the gateway to Africa, the refinery stands as a remarkable project that showcases the country’s technological progress.
Oku added that the facility, as the world’s largest single-train refinery, is a point of immense pride for Nigeria.
“We had heard about the excellence of the Dangote Refinery through the media but seeing it in person has left us truly amazed by its vastness and grandeur. It demonstrates that Nigeria’s population is not only growing but also advancing in technology. We are keen to collaborate with Nigerian companies, especially Dangote Refinery,” he said.
Emphasising that the refinery has bolstered Nigeria’s leading position in Africa, he further noted that the facility serves as an ideal introduction to the country for the global community.
The Managing Director of Itochu Nigeria Limited, Masahiro Tsuno, was said to have also praised the sheer size and automation of the Dangote refinery, calling it a miracle and one of the wonders of the world.
“I’ve seen many standalone refineries across the globe, including in Vietnam and the Middle East. However, the size of a refinery built by one single investor is probably a miracle in the world. And I’m just actually witnessing a miracle,” he said.
Tsuno added his business would want to work with the refinery in a number of areas, such as petroleum products and polypropylene.
