The Chairman and CEO of the Dangote Refinery, Aliko Dangote, has met with the Prime Minister of Grenada to explore a potential trade deal, aiming to enhance trade relations with Grenada and the broader Caribbean region.
The meeting took place on Thursday at the $20 billion petrochemical plant in Lagos, where Prime Minister Dickson Mitchell participated in a physical tour of the refinery, fertilizer plant, and other facilities.
Dangote highlighted that Mitchell serves not only as the Prime Minister of Grenada but also as the Chairman of the Caribbean States.
He added that their discussions focused on establishing a deal that would involve importing crude oil from the Caribbean and selling petroleum products to the region.
“The prime minister is not only the prime minister of Grenada. He is also the chairman of the Caribbean States. We are looking at also cement. We are looking at maybe to buy some crude from them.
“Also, we are looking to sell some of our petroleum products to them. You know, we export everywhere,” Dangote told journalists.
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On his part, Prime Minister Dickson Mitchell praised the project, describing it as a significant achievement not only for Nigeria but for Africa as a whole.
He also commended the skills, automation, and advanced technology of the 650,000-barrel-per-day refinery, noting that it was impressive to see young engineers working in the laboratory.
“This is an amazing achievement and accomplishment. This is a tribute to what a great vision Mr. Dangote has, not just for his country, but also for Africa.
“It’s been a wonderful experience. The skill, depth, sophistication and automation. It’s also amazing seeing many young Nigerians particularly in the lab,” he added.
What you should know
Aliko Dangote, Africa’s wealthiest individual, has invested $20 billion to complete the Dangote refinery, a facility capable of processing 650,000 barrels of oil per day.
Once fully operational, the refinery will become the largest in both Africa and Europe, with expectations to reach this milestone either this year or next.
The project aims to significantly reduce Nigeria’s dependence on imported petroleum products.
Despite being the continent’s most populous nation and leading oil producer, Nigeria imports almost all its fuel due to insufficient refining infrastructure—a gap the Dangote refinery seeks to fill.
