President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has commended the Dangote Petroleum Refinery, describing it as a “great point of reference, a great phenomenon of our time, and a massive investment” that showcases Nigeria’s capacity for industrial greatness and economic transformation.
He made this known while commissioning the Lekki Deep Sea Port Access Road at the Dangote Refinery and Petrochemical Plant on Thursday in Lagos.
The President thanked Alhaji Aliko Dangote for his interest in developing the country through continuous investments.
“Having inspected the Dangote refinery, which is a great point of reference, a great phenomenon of our time and a massive investment, I want to thank Aliko Dangote,” he was quoted as saying in a statement signed by Special Adviser to the President (Information & Strategy), Bayo Onanuga.
“I am happy that the Deep Sea Port I initiated as Governor of Lagos State is a huge success today. Users save vast amounts of money using this port because they no longer need to trans-ship their goods. I commend the quality of the access road done by Messrs Dangote Industries Limited on our Tax Credit Road programme and the subcontractor, Messrs Hitech Construction Company Limited. The president of the Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, thanked the President for envisioning and implementing the Lekki Deep Sea Port project and assured him of the private sector’s support for expanding infrastructure nationwide,” Tinubu stated.
President calls for alignment between states, FG to facilitate infrastructure development
During the launch, the president stated that collaboration between the federal and state governments will facilitate construction of major roads and bridges across the country.
“I have directed the Minister of Works, David Umahi, and the Surveyor General of the federation to work more closely with the governors,” the President said. President Tinubu said aligning state approvals with the Federal Government will reduce the burden of compensation and delays in actualising people-oriented projects.
“Please, my dear governors, let’s work together. Don’t give planning approvals without collaboration with the Surveyor General and the Ministry of Works. I am appealing to you to realise the same development goal.
“Let me emphasise the ban by the Federal Government of Nigeria on any dredging within a 10km radius of all our Bridges nationwide. I appeal to all governors, relevant agencies, and security agencies to implement this ban immediately”, President Tinubu said.
The ceremony came five days after the President commissioned Phase 1 of Section One of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, also in Lagos.
He commended the Federal Ministry of Works, Messrs Hitech Construction Company Limited, Messrs Dangote Industries Limited, BUA and all contractors involved in the country’s road development. He said his administration is committed to building enduring infrastructure nationwide.
He dismissed critics of the government’s legacy projects for being ignorant about how the government awarded the legacy roads to contractors.
What you should know
- In May 2023, Africa’s largest oil refinery, the Dangote Refinery, was commissioned in Nigeria, with hopes that it would help alleviate the country’s chronic fuel shortages.
- During a recent high-level visit to the state-of-the-art facility, which has a processing capacity of 650,000 barrels per day, President of the ECOWAS Commission, H.E. Dr. Omar Alieu Touray, described the refinery as a beacon of hope for Africa’s future and a powerful testament to the potential of the private sector in driving regional industrialisation.
- In a related development, the Dangote Oil Refinery has lined up imports of at least five million barrels of U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude for delivery in July, building on what could become a record month of WTI intake in June.
