Devakumar Edwin, Vice President of Oil and Gas at Dangote Industries Limited, has accused the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) of giving out too many licenses, allowing the import of dirty diesel and jet fuel into Nigeria.>>>CONTINUE FULL READING HERE....CONTINUE READING THE ARTICLE FROM THE SOURCE
Speaking at a training event for energy editors organized by the Dangote Group, Edwin expressed his concerns.
He said NMDPRA is letting marketers bring in fuel products that are banned in other countries.
“Even though we are working hard to meet ECOWAS standards, NMDPRA is letting traders import high-sulfur petrol from Russia,” Edwin said.
He explained that after the US and UK put limits on Russian fuel, these dirty fuels are now being sold in Nigeria.
Why Dangote Can Export to Other Countries
Edwin explained the harmful effects: “We make and sell diesel that meets ECOWAS standards, but NMDPRA is allowing huge amounts of high-sulfur diesel from Russia into Nigeria.
Since the US, EU, and UK put a price cap on Russian fuel on February 5, 2023, many ships with this dirty diesel have been waiting near Togo and are now selling it here.”
He also mentioned that European countries are worried about the cancer risks from these fuels. Countries like Belgium and the Netherlands have recently banned the export of such dirty fuels to West Africa.
“It’s sad that import licenses for dirty diesel are being given out when Nigeria has enough refining capacity locally,” Edwin added.
Edwin also talked about how these practices affect Dangote’s ability to export. He said Dangote’s products meet international standards, allowing the refinery to export diesel and aviation fuel to Europe and other parts of the world.
But he warned that NMDPRA’s free licensing makes it easy for traders to bring in low-quality fuel, undermining Dangote’s quality efforts.
“NMDPRA’s decision to give out licenses freely for importing dirty diesel and aviation fuel has forced us to expand into foreign markets,” Edwin said.
“Our goal is to grow our economy, even though industry players have fought us for lowering the price of diesel and aviation fuel.”
Businessman and President of Dangote Refinery, Aliko Dangote, has often said that local and international oil organizations are trying to sabotage his refinery in Nigeria.
With a capacity of 600,000 barrels per day, the Dangote Refinery is set to change the oil market in Nigeria and Africa, which relies heavily on imports. It has the largest refining capacity in both Africa and Europe.
In a recent interview with Afreximbank in the Bahamas, Dangote revealed that the “oil mafia” is more dangerous than the drug mafia in the oil and gas industry.
He noted that these “mafias” have tried various ways to stop his refinery project.
Once fully operational next year, the Dangote Refinery is expected to reduce Africa’s need for imported refined products from Europe and the United States.>>>CONTINUE FULL READING HERE
