The Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) has urged the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) and other regulators to refrain from undermining Dangote Refinery and other domestic producers.
MAN’s Director-General, Mr. Segun Ajayi-Kadir, issued this statement in response to the ongoing dispute between Dangote Refinery and NMDPRA.
“It is expected that agencies of government, that provide regulatory oversight functions, should promote an enabling business environment for local investments to thrive.
“No regulatory agency should be seen to be casting a shadow over a homegrown investment like the Dangote Refinery.
“The allegations of poor quality, monopolistic tendencies and non-issuance of license have since been roundly debunked.
“There may then be the need to issue a clarification that absolves the Dangote Refinery of the negative perception generated by the news report,” he said.
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Last week, Farouk Ahmed, the Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), stated that diesel produced by the Dangote Refinery was of inferior quality compared to imported varieties.
He also noted that the Dangote Refinery has not yet been commissioned and expressed concerns about potential monopolistic practices by the company.
However, Aliko Dangote, Chairman of the Dangote Group, refuted Ahmed’s claims, asserting that the diesel and other petroleum products from his refinery are of high quality.
In response to the dispute between Dangote Refinery and NMDPRA, the Senate, the House of Representatives, and the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Heineken Lokpobiri, have intervened.
The House Committee on Midstream and Downstream has initiated an investigation into the issue.
Additionally, Lokpobiri convened a meeting with Dangote, Ahmed, and the Group CEO of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Mele Kyari, to address the ongoing crisis in the sector.
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