President of the Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, has clarified that ongoing attempts to sabotage his $20 billion refinery project are being orchestrated by powerful oil marketers and traders—not the newly appointed leadership of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL).
In a statement issued on Tuesday, Dangote praised President Bola Tinubu for appointing a “capable and professional” management team to NNPCL. He commended the selection of Bayo Ojulari as Group Chief Executive Officer and Ahmadu Kida as Non-Executive Chairman, describing the duo as individuals with strong technical and managerial backgrounds.
“The newly appointed team brings fresh expertise and reflects President Tinubu’s strategic vision for reforming the energy sector and building a $1 trillion economy,” Dangote said.
Responding to media reports that suggested he is still battling for the refinery’s survival, Dangote made it clear that his concerns were not directed at the new NNPC leadership, which he said has so far shown support for the refinery’s operations.
Instead, he pointed to certain major oil marketers and international traders who, according to him, have benefitted from decades of subsidised fuel imports and are now resisting change.
“These are the people fighting back, not NNPC. They have made billions and are determined to frustrate the reforms being pushed by President Tinubu,” he stated.
Dangote lauded the recent reforms at NNPCL, describing them as strong signals of the company’s renewed commitment to transparency, efficiency, and accountability.
Reaffirming his group’s alignment with the administration’s economic objectives, Dangote expressed confidence in the refinery’s eventual success.
“We’re fighting, and the fight is not yet finished. But I have been fighting all my life, and I am ready and 100 per cent sure I will win at the end of the day,” he declared.
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