By Abiola Olawale
Africa’s richest business mogul and Nigerian iconic entrepreneur, Alhaji Aliko Dangote has disclosed that there were attempts made by certain local and foreign mafias within the oil and gas sector to sabotage the construction of the 650,000 barrels per day Dangote Refinery, located near Lekki in Lagos state.
Dangote revealed that he faced resistance during the building of the $19 billion refinery due to the vested interests of certain local and foreign oil mafias in the oil importation business.
He stated that the mafias were ready to prioritize their financial gains over the development of the refinery that could significantly benefit the region and the continent.
Dangote, who made this revelation while speaking at the Afreximbank annual meetings (AAN) and Afro-Caribbean Trade and Investment Forum in Nassau, The Bahamas, said he was able to stand his ground and fight through the hard times.
He said: “Well, I knew that there would be a fight. But I didn’t know that the mafia in oil, they are stronger than the mafia in drugs. I can tell you that. Yes, it’s a fact. The local and foreign mafia tried several times to sabotage the refinery from coming to fruition.
“But I’m a person that has been fighting all my life. You know, so I think it’s part of my life to fight.
“In a system where for 35 years people are used to counting good money, and all of a sudden they see that the days of counting that money have come to an end, you don’t expect them to pray for you. Of course, you expect them to fight back.
“And I think that is the process that we’re now really going through. But the truth is that, yes, the country, the sub-region, and also the continent, of sub-Saharan Africa, need this refinery. So, you expect them to fight through non-supply of crude, non-purchase of the product, but I think it’s all temporary. We’ll get there.”
The New Diplomat reports that the refinery sited in Lagos commenced operations last December with 350,000 barrels a day.
Though the refinery has begun to supply diesel and aviation fuel to marketers in the country, it is yet to supply fuel.
When in full operation, the Dangote refinery is expected to significantly reduce Nigeria’s dependence on imported petroleum products.
