•Our engineers are now expatriates in UAE, other countries, says Dangote Group

Peter Uzoho

The federal government has commended the Dangote Petroleum Refinery for its outstanding engineering achievements and significant investment in developing young Nigerian talents.

The Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr Jumoke Oduwole, gave the praises during her official visit to the state-of-the-art facility at the Lekki Free Trade Zone, Lagos, according to a statement by Dangote Group.

Oduwole was also quoted to have lauded the refinery for its dual focus on world-class infrastructure and exceptional investment in human capital.

The minister expressed admiration for the vast scale of the physical infrastructure, describing it as “bricks, mortar, and pipelines of extraordinary ambition” but also for the calibre of talent operating it.”

“We are not just appreciating the scale of the infrastructure: the bricks, mortar, and pipelines,” the Minister said.

“We are equally impressed by the investment in human capital. It is deeply inspiring to see young Nigerians, many of whom have never left the country, operating world-class equipment with remarkable skill and professionalism,” she stated.

Oduwole, a senior university lecturer, highlighted the significance of such a development in the context of national capacity-building.

“As a lecturer myself, I take great pride in witnessing their excellence in engineering. It is nothing short of exceptional,” she added.

She also praised Africa’s richest man and the visionary behind the project, Aliko Dangote, for his continued commitment to industrial transformation in Nigeria.

“Listening to Alhaji Dangote speak about this project is always a source of inspiration. This is not just a refinery—it is a bold statement of what is possible. This is Lagos, Nigeria, and there is truly nowhere else in the world with a facility of this kind at this scale,” the minister added.

In his presentation to the minister, Vice President, Oil & Gas at Dangote Industries Limited, Mr. Edwin Devakumar, highlighted the world-class capabilities of the 650,000 barrels per day (bpd) Dangote Petroleum Refinery.

According to Devakumar, the refinery produces Euro-V quality petrol, diesel, jet fuel, and polypropylene, meeting 100 per cent of Nigeria’s domestic demand for refined petroleum products, with surplus available for export.

He emphasised that the refinery incorporates the latest technologies to ensure environmental compliance while delivering clean, globally competitive fuels.

He noted that the refinery includes a fully self-sufficient marine terminal for crude oil offtake and product loading, as well as an integrated steam and power generation system with a 435 megawatts (MW) capacity—enough to supply the entire electricity demand of the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC), which covers  Oyo, Ogun, Osun, Kwara, and Ekiti States.

“We are one of the very few companies in the world to have executed both a petroleum refinery and a petrochemical complex directly as an EPC contractor.

“We sent engineers for overseas training and employed around 60,000 skilled Nigerians during construction, offering them valuable experience in various aspects of construction, testing, and commissioning,” he said.

Devakumar added that many of the Nigerian engineers, technicians, and others trained by the company were now working as expatriates not just across Africa, but as far afield as the United Arab Emirates (UAE), contributing to Nigeria’s foreign remittance inflow.

The statement recalled that Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Dangote Fertiliser Limited have been widely commended for their commitment to hiring and nurturing Nigerian engineers.

Most recently, the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), led by its Executive Secretary, Felix Ogbe, had praised the company for its efforts in developing young engineering talents.

Similarly, the League of Engineering Bodies in Nigeria, including the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), the Nigerian Academy of Engineering (NAE), the Association of Consulting Engineering in Nigeria (ACEN), and the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN), had equally expressed admiration for the facilities during a visit to the facilities.

The delegation lauded the active engagement of Nigerian engineers in the construction, commissioning, and operation of the plants.

The Dangote Petroleum Refinery, the largest single-train refinery globally, has been hailed as a game-changing project set to enhance Nigeria’s self-sufficiency in refined petroleum products, reduce import dependence, and stimulate economic growth.

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