-Deborah Akinyosoye
Dangote Group has said that it plans to transport refined petroleum products by sea.
This announcement was made in a statement on Sunday by the Senior Adviser to the Group President on Special Projects and Strategic Relations, Fatima Wali-Abdurrahman.
She noted the construction of a jetty in the Lekki Free Zone to handle bulk cargoes during the refinery’s development.
“Today, we are exporting our products to many African countries through the seaport. We also plan to ease the pressure on the roads from the refinery by transporting finished petroleum products to other ports along the Nigerian coast by sea for further distribution to the hinterland,” she said.
According to the group, this initiative aims to alleviate pressure on road networks while facilitating exports to other African countries.
The statement also stated that the Dangote Group, a major sponsor of the trade fair organised by the Abuja Chamber of Commerce and Industry, attracted a large crowd eager to learn about its state-of-the-art oil refinery, which recently commenced discharging petroleum products.
The statement added that many attendees explored the company’s various business units, including Dangote Fertiliser, Dangote Sugar, NASCON (Dangote Salt), and Dangote Cement.
Wali-Abdurrahman said participants were keen to discover opportunities within the company.
The statement quoted a participant, Peter Ibrahim, as saying, “I am here at the Dangote booth to find out what business and job opportunities are available at the Dangote Refinery. We know the company must have created several opportunities.”
Similarly, cement dealer Sale Sagir, remarked, “Let me be honest. I came to this trade fair because of the Dangote Group. I sell cement, but now I have come to find out what it takes to be a distributor of other products, especially the Dangote Petroleum products.”
Wali-Abdurrahman also highlighted the company’s investment in Compressed Natural Gas, stating, “To reduce our carbon footprint and costs, over the past decade, we have converted about a third of our fleet. This is an ongoing process, till we convert the entire fleet.”
The ACCI President, Chief Emeka Obegolu, commended the Dangote Group for its significant role in Nigeria’s industrialisation.
Represented by Vice President Legal, Aisha Abdullahi, he remarked on the company’s “unwavering commitment to Nigeria’s development, adding, “The taxes paid by the group have contributed significantly to national revenue, funding infrastructure projects and social programmes that benefit millions of Nigerians.”