The multi-billion naira Dangote Refinery will be commissioned by President Muhammadu Buhari in a few days, according to Bashir Ahmad, the president’s Special Assistant on Digital Communications.
The president will commission the project just a few days after the federal government said it has postponed the removal of the petrol subsidy.
The Buhari administration said it has left the decision to end the subsidy regime to the incoming administration of Bola Tinubu who is expected to take power on May 29 this year.
The petrochemical refinery owned by Africa’s richest man was initially billed to be commissioned last year by the president, but the event was later postponed.
The 650, 000 barrels per day integrated refinery project located in the Lekki free trade zone area of Lagos state will now be commissioned on May 22, Bashir said in a tweet on Sunday.
According to him, “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.”
The project, which cost an estimated $19 billion to build, is Africa’s biggest oil refinery and the world’s biggest single-train facility and is expected to generate 9,500 direct and 25,000 indirect jobs.
The project, when it starts operations fully is expected to meet Nigeria’s fuel demand apart from serving as a major export earner for the country.
The cost of building the refinery, according to figures made available by the company is more than $19 billion.
