President of the Dangote Refinery and Chief Executive Dangote Group of Companies, Aliko Dangote, has opened up on how make queues disappear at filling stations across the country.
He said the magic will happen when oil marketers start patronising his refinery, thus confirming speculations that direct lifting of the products from his refinery is yet to commence.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelSpeaking with State House Correspondents after meeting with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Dangote said his refinery is the solution to the lingering fuel queues.
He frowned at the continuous importation of the product by NNPC and independent marketers despite the coming on stream of the much awaited (DR) Dangote Refinery.
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He urged the Nigeria National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) and marketers across the country to stop importation of fuel, boasting that at full capacity his refinery can supply whatever is being consumed.
“What I estimated as our consumption daily is about 30-32 million litters, that one we can even start producing that by next week. That is not really an issue because as we speak today, we have 500 million litres in our tanks. With that even if there is no production anywhere or no import that will take the country more than 12 days” he said
His submission suggests that the NNPC and independent marketers who are bent of continuing the importation of the product are the ones putting the nation in bondage.
“We are very ready, we are more than ready and I am also putting my name on the line that we will be able to supply the market 30 million per day and we are ramping up, so we are ready.
“So I am expecting that the NNPCL and the marketers should stop importing, they should come and collect what they need. I don’t know if you understand what it means to keep half of billion litres in our tanks, it is costing me money.
”Every day if I am to collect money, I can charge 32 per cent in interest. That is what I am losing, if they come and collect then you will not see any queue in the filling stations.”
Julius Okorie is Chief Sports and Entertainment Correspondent for Prime Business Africa. He began his journalism career with the Champion Newspaper and Sporting Champion and later moved on to Daily Independent and the Nation Newspapers. Okorie joined Prime Business Africa in 2024 bringing on board 20 years of experience in writing investigative news on Sports and Entertainment. His well researched and highly informative articles on Sports Business and general entertainment are followed by a wide range of audience.