President of Dangote Industries Limited, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, has urged Nigerians to prioritize locally made products and services as a means of stimulating economic growth and reducing dependence on foreign goods.
Speaking during a media tour of the Dangote Refinery in Lagos led by former presidential aide and Grow Naija Buy Naija advocate, Reno Omokri Dangote emphasized that national development can only be achieved when citizens collectively support Nigerian-made goods.
“I want to encourage all Nigerians to buy only made-in-Nigeria products. When you buy anything made locally, you are helping to create jobs,” he said.
“The only way for us to be a stronger nation is to patronize ourselves. When we buy made-in-Nigeria goods, we empower industries, create employment, and build prosperity.”
Reno Omokri, who led the delegation, lauded the refinery as a groundbreaking project that symbolizes Nigeria’s industrial future.
“The Dangote Refinery is not up to date; it is up to tomorrow. It represents the future of Nigeria,” Omokri said, praising the technological sophistication and impact of the project.
He revealed that within its first year of operation, the refinery had shipped over 650 vessels of refined petroleum products, with 60% exported to the United States, and the remainder to countries such as Brazil and Argentina.
According to him, the refinery’s privately built port terminal equipped with modern roll-on/roll-off (RORO) facilities has helped decongest public ports while showcasing world-class logistics capacity.
Omokri described the sheer scale of the project as “breathtaking,” noting that it spans 2,635 hectares roughly 10% of the entire landmass of Saint Lucia.
He highlighted that the refinery employs a large number of young Nigerians across disciplines and regions, creating an atmosphere of unity and productivity.
“The energy there is kinetic,” he said. “You see Nigerian youths from every ethnic background working together. In the central laboratory alone, about 60% of the staff are women from hijab-wearing PhD holders to young engineers trained in Europe and America.”
The refinery, he added, does not rely on public power but generates its own electricity, contributing an additional 10% to Nigeria’s national grid. It produces 500 megawatts, while the adjoining fertilizer plant supplies another 150 megawatts.
Omokri emphasized that the refinery’s products meet Euro 6 standards surpassing Europe’s own Euro 5 benchmark for petrol and diesel quality.
“No country on earth can reject Dangote’s products on the basis of quality,” he said. “They go above and beyond international standards.”
He also commended the company’s strong relationship with host communities, noting that the Dangote Group had constructed local roads, provided scholarships, and implemented environmental safeguards that protect marine life in the surrounding fishing areas.
Speaking later, Devakumar Edwin, Vice President for Oil and Gas at Dangote Industries Limited, disclosed that the refinery had recorded 22 attempted sabotage incidents since it began operations all successfully contained due to the facility’s advanced security and hazard management systems.
“We have been under repeated attacks,” Edwin revealed. “Initially, critics said the refinery would never be completed, then they claimed it wouldn’t start production. Later, they spread false news about gas supply issues. Now they talk about operational breakdowns. None of it is true.”
He assured Nigerians that operations remain stable, with the refinery currently holding over 312 million litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) in its storage tanks.
With a processing capacity of 650,000 barrels per day, Edwin said the facility can meet Nigeria’s full domestic demand for petrol, diesel, and aviation fuel, while still exporting nearly half of its output.
“This refinery produces about 94% light products PMS, AGO, and Jet A1 with only 6% being heavier by-products like carbon black feedstock,” he explained. “That’s far better than older Nigerian refineries.”
The Dangote Refinery continues to stand as a testament to Nigerian innovation and industrial capacity. Dangote’s call for Nigerians to buy and support locally made goods, observers say, underscores a broader national vision one of self-reliance, job creation, and global competitiveness.
“When Nigerians patronize made-in-Nigeria products, they don’t just spend money they invest in the nation’s future,” Dangote affirmed.