Aliko Dangote, Africa’s wealthiest individual, has denied accusations that his refinery’s petroleum products are substandard.
On Saturday, Dangote dismissed these claims during a visit by members of the House of Representatives to his refinery in Lagos. The delegation was led by Tajudeen Abbas, Speaker of the House of Representatives, and Benjamin Kalu, the Deputy Speaker.
Earlier, on July 18, Farouk Ahmed, CEO of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), stated that local refineries, including Dangote’s, were producing products inferior to imports.
In response, Dangote explained that diesel samples from his refinery and two filling stations were tested in the refinery’s laboratories. The tests utilized an Energy Dispersive X-ray Fluorescence (ED-XRF) Spectro Photometer following the ASTM D4294 method. This method allows for rapid and precise sulfur content measurement in petroleum products.
Dangote stated that the diesel samples were purchased in the presence of the lawmakers. “Our quality is about 600 to 650 ppm and was among the best when we started. Today, we’re at 87 ppm,” he said. “I invite the regulator to come anytime to take a sample, and I guarantee that our PPM will be below 10.”
He added, “The speaker requested that we pick samples from two filling stations for comparison. The results show that diesel from TotalEnergies had a sulfur concentration of 1,829 ppm, and Matrix Retail had 2,653 ppm. Our diesel showed a flash point of 96.”
“The results prove that our products are of high quality. By the end of next week, we aim for 50 ppm, and by August, we should reach 10 ppm.”
Dangote also emphasized the importance of testing imported products independently. “It’s crucial to verify the quality of imported products by purchasing and testing them from filling stations,” he said.
Dangote further pointed out that the test results highlight the issue of substandard petroleum products being imported and sold in Nigeria. “There is a need for an investigation to resolve these contradictory claims,” he added.
On June 4, Dangote claimed that some international oil companies (IOCs) were struggling to supply crude to his refinery. However, Gbenga Komolafe, CEO of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), refuted this on July 15, stating that the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) provides guidelines for willing buyer-willing seller transactions.
Despite this, Dangote’s management maintained that IOCs were obstructing their efforts to purchase crude feedstock. The Dangote refinery is scheduled to begin supplying petrol in August.
cable