Dangote Refinery Must Succeed, Nigeria Greater Than PENGASSAN — FG

The Federal Government on Monday underscored the vital importance of the 650,000-barrel-per-day Dangote Refinery, insisting that it must receive full support to operate successfully.

Vice President Kashim Shettima and Minister of Budget and National Planning, Senator Udo Udoma Bagudu, highlighted the refinery’s significance at the opening of the Nigerian Economic Summit 2025 in Abuja. The government described the $20 billion facility as a national asset whose success is crucial for Nigeria’s economic growth.

Addressing last week’s industrial action by oil workers under the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), Shettima stated, “Aliko Dangote, he’s not an individual, he’s an institution, and he’s a leading light in Nigeria’s economic parliament. How we treat this gentleman will determine how outsiders judge us. If he had invested $10 billion in Microsoft, in Amazon, or in Google, he probably might be worth $70 to $80 billion by now. But he chose to invest in his country, and we owe it to future generations to jealously protect, promote, preserve, and safeguard the interests of this great Nigeria.”

The Vice President urged both labour and the private sector to exercise caution and patriotism in managing industrial relations. “It’s not about holding the whole nation to ransom because of a minor labour dispute. Nigeria is greater than PENGASSAN. Nigeria is greater than each and every one of us. I’m not coming to you as a partisan,” he added.

The government’s message reinforces the critical role of the Dangote Refinery in Nigeria’s economic development and the need to prioritize national interest over industrial conflicts.

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