By Abiola Olawale
In a significant development for Nigeria’s oil and gas sector, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) and Dangote Petroleum Refinery have taken decisive steps to resolve their months-long issues.
The move follows a high-profile meeting between Africa’s richest man and the President of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, and Bayo Ojulari, Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPCL.
A statement by the Chief Corporate Communications Officer of NNPC Limited, Mr Olufemi Soneye, on Friday, said the commitment to work together was made during the meeting.
Soneye, in the statement, explained that during the meeting, Dangote pledged the support of his refinery to the new NNPC Management.
He quoted Dangote as saying: “There is no competition between us; we are not here to compete with NNPC Ltd. NNPC is part and parcel of our business, and we are also part of NNPC. This is an era of cooperation between the two organizations.”
While congratulating the GCEO and the Senior Management Team on their “well-deserved appointments,” Alhaji Dangote acknowledged the enormity of the responsibility ahead, noting that the GCEO is shouldering a monumental task, which he expressed confidence that, with the capable hands at his disposal in NNPC, the task is surmountable.
On his part, the GCEO, Mr. Bashir Bayo Ojulari assured Dangote of a mutually beneficial partnership anchored on healthy competition and productive collaboration.
The New Diplomat reports that the rift between NNPCL and Dangote Refinery, which has dominated headlines since late 2024, stemmed from disputes over crude oil supply, pricing, and import policies.
Tensions escalated with legal battles, including Dangote’s N100 billion lawsuit against NNPCL and other regulators over fuel import licenses, and public disagreements over the naira-for-crude deal.
