DANGOTE: THE LEGENDARY ICON OF ALL TIME (1)

DANGOTE: THE LEGENDARY ICON OF ALL TIME (1) 

By Ibrahim Abdullahi

Aliko Dangote is the founder of the Dangote Refinery, situated in Lagos. He built the refinery through hard work and perseverance, a process that took about four years.

Today, Dangote Refinery is the largest in Africa and the world’s biggest single‑train refinery. An expansion is already underway; and on completion it will produce over one million barrels of petroleum product per day, making it the largest refinery globally.

Dangote started as a humble businessman, rising from the bottom to the top. He has never held a government appointment, so no one can accuse him of embezzling public funds. Before entering oil and gas, he invested in cement, rice, sugar, spaghetti and other sectors. He is the largest individual employer in Nigeria and across Africa, and after the expansion his company will surpass the Federal Government in employment numbers.

After investing $20 billion, some “enemies of the nation” — self‑styled cabals — have tried to sabotage the refinery. Their goal is to keep importing fuel, which drains foreign exchange, weakens the naira and enables fraudulent claims on government subsidies. A functional refinery is the best way to stop this economic sabotage.

Dangote once offered to buy NNPC’s refineries, but public outcry and former President Yar’Adua’s rejection halted the deal. He then built his own, far larger than any state‑owned plant. When the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, led by Ahmed Farouk, refused to supply crude, Dangote was forced to import from the United States. He exposed the problem through the media, prompting public pressure.

Farouk’s office later accused Dangote’s fuel of being substandard and high in sulfur. Dangote countered with evidence from his world‑class laboratory, inviting the National Assembly to inspect it. The legislators were satisfied, while the regulator failed to produce its own test results, revealing it had no functional laboratory.

The cabal then tried to block product loading by withdrawing union trucks. Dangote responded by purchasing 4,000 trucks to distribute his products nationwide, eliminating reliance on the union fleet. The union, backed by the cabal, demanded his drivers join them, but Dangote refused, citing voluntary union membership. A fire incident damaged part of the refinery, but it was repaired at cost.

PENGASSAN later joined the fight, striking against the refinery. Nigerians opposed the strike, and the President intervened, ending it. The President also ordered the regulator to sell crude to Dangote in naira, removing the need for foreign exchange. Since then, the naira has stabilized, and Nigeria now exports refined products, earning foreign exchange and boosting GDP.

Recently, Dangote accused Farouk of corruption, alleging he paid $5 million (≈N7 billion) for his children’s school fees. The claim shocked the nation, and many call for Farouk’s prosecution to recover alleged looted funds. The President has already removed Farouk from office, but further legal action is urged.

With the ongoing development, Dangote submitted petition to ICPC, which he later withdrew but sent a fresh one to the EFCC and the agency is now carrying out a thorough investigation.

Some cabal members who took delight in spreading false allegations that Dangote’s wealth is fraudulent had to take back their vomit. A retired NNPC staff from Kaduna State immediately retracted his statement after receiving a lawyer’s letter. He had since buried his head shame in shame by "retracting and apologizing" to Dangote.

While Nigerians continue to thank Dangote for locating the refinery in Nigeria rather than abroad, viewing it as a national pride and a solution to years of moribund state refineries, I personally suggest that to protect this asset, the President should advisably declare the Dangote Refinery "a national asset and monument,"  deterring future sabotage. The refinery has already prevented fuel prices from reaching N5,000 per litre and has created thousands of jobs.

My advice to Dangote is simple: build modern depots in each of Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones to ease Lagos congestion, reduce highway accidents and lower truck wear‑and‑tear.

If the depots are built in each geo political centres the trucks will load at their zones and they do not need to come all the way to Lagos to load their products. If this advice is taken by Alh Aliko Dangote it will reduce accident on the high ways, reduce congestion in Lagos, and it will also reduce the wear and tear of his trailer vehicles. 

This is my own humble technical advice to the legendary Icon of all time Alh Aliko Dangote. 

In summary, Dangote’s refinery is really a transformational, privately‑driven achievement reshaping Nigeria’s energy landscape, creating jobs, and challenging entrenched import interests. With continued support, it will secure Nigeria’s future and remain a source of national pride. We wish you more grease to your elbows, ride on my big brother you are doing great and shame to the cabals.

Ibrahim Abdullahi is the Managing Director, Jessibram Investment Ltd, Abuja.