Breaking: Lagos Dangote Refinery to be inaugurated May 22

All is set for the inauguration of Dangote Refinery and Petrochemicals Limited in Lekki, Lagos, the world’s largest single train refinery, on May 22, 2023, seven days to the end of President Muhammadu Buhari’s tenure.

The refinery is a 650,000 barrels per day integrated refining facility located on a 6,180 acres (2,500 hectares) site at the Lekki Free Trade Zone in Lagos State.

The refinery, worth $19 billion will create about 150,000 direct and indirect jobs for Nigerians and create a market of $21 billion per annum for Nigerian crude.

A statement by the Group Chief Branding and Communications Officer for Dangote Industries Limited, Mr Anthony Chiejina, on Sunday and given to Persecondnews said President Buhari will commission the monumental project before leaving “office in May 2023”.

He said: “However, our refinery will be commissioned before President Muhammadu Buhari formally leaves office in May 2023, and the public will be duly informed and invited to the epic event.”

But the Special Assistant to the President on Digital Communication, Bashir Ahmad, on Sunday via official twitter handle confirmed the date for the inauguration.

He wrote: “Efforts by the Federal Government to make Nigeria self-sufficient in local refining of crude oil to save the scarce foreign exchange used in the importation of petroleum products have received a boost as the 650,000 barrels per day Dangote Refinery, the world’s largest single-train refinery, is set for inauguration on May 22nd, 2023, by President Muhammadu Buhari.”

Persecondnews earlier reported that the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited owns a 20 percent stake in the refinery and also signed an agreement to supply crude oil for 20 years to Dangote Refinery.

The NNPC Group Chief Executive Officer, Mele Kyari had in August 2022 confirmed the development and said the essence of the agreement is to eliminate the importation “of petroleum products into this country.”

He said: “NNPC owns 20 percent equity in the Dangote Refinery and has a first right of refusal to supply crude oil to the plant. But we saw this energy transition challenge coming.

“And that means we have locked down the ability to sell crude oil for 33,000 barrels minimum by right for the next 20 years and by right also we have access to 20 percent of the production from that plant.”