By Aduragbemi Omiyale
There are strong indications that the Dangote Refinery in Lagos may begin to export petroleum products to Caribbean countries if ongoing talks click.
This hint was dropped by the owner of the $20 billion oil facility located in the Lekki area of Lagos State, Mr Aliko Dangote, when he hosted the Prime Minister of Grenada, Mr Dickon Mitchell, on Thursday.
While addressing journalists after the tour of the 650,000 barrels per day refinery, the businessman said some Caribbean countries are beginning to discover crude oil and are exploring opportunities to build their refineries, but before this is done, they might sell the commodity to his company for refined products like Nigeria used to do in the past.
“There are numerous partnerships in place. He is not only the Prime Minister of Grenada but also the Chairman of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM).
“We are exploring collaboration in areas such as cement and petroleum, including the possibility of buying crude from them while selling some of our petroleum products to them.
“We already export to the US, Mexico, and other regions, so there is significant collaboration we are looking to develop between us and them,” Mr Dangote stated.
He described the visit of Mr Mitchell as significant, saying it “shows that many countries are proud of what we have been able to achieve because a lot of countries have been unable to deliver their refineries.”
“It shows their pride in seeing a Black person like them in the Caribbean, although I am from Nigeria, succeed. For them, this is a dream, especially as many Caribbean countries are beginning to discover oil but still depend largely on exporting crude while importing petroleum products, which is costlier than in America. Their dream is to set up a refinery—perhaps not of this size—but one that would cater to their people,” he said further.
Business Post reports that the refinery in Lagos is the largest single-train refinery in the world and is designed to process a wide variety of crude oils, including those from Africa, the Middle East, and US Light Tight Oil.
Speaking on his visit to the refinery, the PM said his host’s investment is a tribute to his vision not just for Nigeria but Africa as a whole.
“This investment is a tribute to Mr Dangote and his remarkable vision,” noting that the business mogul “exemplifies what an African leader should be.”
“It has been a wonderful experience to witness the shared skills, depth of sophistication, and automation here. Seeing so many bright young Nigerians, particularly in the laboratories, is truly inspiring. I believe this bodes well for the future development of Nigeria,” he added.
“One of the reasons I am here is to pursue synergies and partnerships between the diaspora and Africa, particularly in areas such as the refinery, cement, and fertiliser. We believe there are fantastic opportunities to develop partnerships between the Caribbean and Africa,” Mr Michell stated.