In the midst of a growing dispute between the Dangote Refinery and the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) over crude oil supply, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has called for a measured approach, urging all stakeholders to prioritise the development of the refinery.
Atiku, in a post on his X handle on Saturday, likened the situation to the care given to an eagerly anticipated child, stressing the importance of nurturing the 650,000-barrel-per-day refinery. “Each parent eagerly awaiting the arrival of a child will dutifully undertake the necessary measures to ensure that the nurturing and development of this precious blessing remain a primary focus,” he stated.
The former Vice President argued that this principle should be applied to both local and international investments, including the Dangote Refinery. “With this understanding, I am cautious in considering any deliberate attempts to impede the progress of the Dangote Refinery, a significant private sector project positioned to meet our energy and forex needs,” he added.
Atiku called on Nigerians to act decisively to ensure that neither internal nor external forces hinder the refinery’s potential to deliver on its promise of transforming Nigeria’s energy landscape. “Alongside numerous fellow citizens of goodwill, I call upon all Nigerians to take resolute actions to provide reassurance that both internal and external forces are not collaborating to prevent us from reaping the benefits promised by this eagerly anticipated transformative endeavour,” he concluded.
The tensions surrounding the Dangote Refinery escalated on Friday when the Dangote Group accused the NUPRC of failing to enforce the Domestic Crude Supply Obligations, resulting in insufficient local crude supply to the refinery. In response, the NUPRC refuted the claims, asserting that it had facilitated the supply of over 29 million barrels of crude oil to the refinery between January and June 2024.
In a statement issued on Friday, the NUPRC further clarified that, in line with its commitment to Section 109 of the Petroleum Industry Act, 2021, it had ensured the supply of 32 million barrels of crude to Dangote Refinery and other local producers during the first half of the year, despite challenges in crude oil production.
However, the Dangote Refinery has disputed the NUPRC’s claims, insisting that it did not receive the 29 million barrels of crude as stated by the commission, deepening the rift between the two entities.
