By Abiola Olawale
Following the public dispute involving the Chief Executive Officer of Dangote Industries Limited, Alhaji Aliko Dangote and high-ranking officials in Nigeria’s oil and gas sector, President Brice Oligui Nguema of Gabon might have begun efforts to attract the attention of Africa’s richest man.
The President has invited Dangote to the country, urging him to explore business opportunities in Gabon.
This was contained in a press statement issued by the Dangote Group.
According to the statement, Nguema offered the opportunity to explore investment opportunities in Cement and Fertiliser (Urea and Phosphate).
The statement reads in part: “President Brice Oligui Nguema of Gabon has invited the President and Chief Executive Officer of Dangote Industries Limited (DIL), Aliko Dangote to invest in Cement and Fertiliser production in Gabon.
“The President urged Dangote to explore potential investment opportunities in the country’s cement and fertilizer sectors, specifically urea and phosphate production.
According to the statement, Dangote conversed with Nguema and other top government officials during his visit to that country.
“The talks focused on how Dangote Industries could contribute to Gabon’s economic growth by establishing cement and fertilizer plants, which are vital for the country’s infrastructure development and agricultural productivity,” Dangote Group said.
“President Nguema expressed enthusiasm about the potential partnership, highlighting Gabon’s commitment to creating a conducive environment for foreign investments.
“He noted that the collaboration with Dangote Industries would bring significant benefits, including job creation, technology transfer, and enhanced industrial capacity.”
The New Diplomat reports that this latest development is coming amid the ongoing rift between Dangote, oil marketers and top officials of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPLC).
The situation escalated after the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) claimed that the Nigerian government was yet to license the Dangote Refinery to begin operations.
The Chief executive of the NMDPRA, Farouk Ahmed claimed that the diesel from Dangote’s plant contained high levels of sulphur, which is very harmful to engines and the environment.
Ahmed also said that Nigeria can not depend on products from the Dangote refinery, revealing that products from the 650,000 barrels refinery are inferior and substandard in quality.
In response, Dangote invited members of the House of Representatives on a tour of the refinery to witness lab tests and make a comparison between the sulphur content of its diesel with imported samples.
According to Dangote, the tests revealed that Dangote’s diesel had a sulphur content of 87.6 ppm, significantly lower than the imported samples, which had levels exceeding 1800 ppm and 2000 ppm.
Dangote explained that the result does not only show the reality of products from his refinery, but it also shows that substandard petroleum products are being imported into the country and sold to unsuspecting Nigerians.
