Dangote, NNPC synergise to boost Nigeria’s oil, gas advantage
By Uzor Odigbo
The Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPC Limited, Engr. Bashir Bayo Ojulari, has led a senior management delegation on a strategic visit to the Dangote Refinery and Petrochemical Complex, underscoring deepening collaboration between the national oil company and the Dangote Group across Nigeria’s maritime and downstream energy landscape.
The high-level engagement at the facility in Ibeju‑Lekki featured a comprehensive tour of the refinery’s marine and logistics infrastructure, with both sides focusing on expanding operational and commercial cooperation expected to reshape shipping, port throughput and fuel distribution networks.
Ojulari described the 650,000 barrels-per-day refinery as transformative, commending industrialist Aliko Dangote for delivering a project he said positions Nigeria as a major downstream processing and bunkering hub on the continent. According to him, the facility’s scale carries significant implications for coastal shipping, marine logistics and regional fuel trade flows.
He characterised the partnership as strategic, noting it would unlock synergies across infrastructure, capital deployment and market access while improving transparency across NNPC–Dangote commercial engagements.
The alliance, he added, opens pathways for deeper cooperation in trading, shipping, gas supply and upstream operations, with positive spillovers for maritime commerce and port activity.
Ojulari also credited President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for policy reforms he said have improved investor confidence, particularly in capital-intensive energy and maritime infrastructure projects.
In his remarks, Dangote said the strengthened partnership would ultimately benefit Nigerians through improved supply reliability and efficiencies across domestic and export fuel markets. He noted that the refinery’s marine capabilities would enhance Nigeria’s competitiveness in regional fuel supply and bunkering services.
Both parties reaffirmed their commitment to sustained cooperation aimed at strengthening energy security, accelerating industrial growth and boosting Nigeria’s standing in global maritime trade.
NNPC currently holds a 7.25 per cent equity stake in the refinery — a strategic investment aligned with its downstream expansion agenda and efforts to deepen domestic refining capacity while strengthening maritime-linked logistics.
