Aliko Dangote, Chairman of the Dangote Group, has called for fuel marketers to prioritize domestic collection from his refinery to alleviate the ongoing petrol scarcity in Nigeria.
Speaking at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, Dangote stated that his refinery holds over 500 million litres of petrol, enough to meet the nation’s needs for more than 12 days without imports.
Dangote emphasized that while his refinery can supply 30 million litres of petrol daily, it is not involved in retail distribution.
"We are not in the retail business. I have a refinery, not filling stations," he remarked, urging marketers to take action to collect and distribute the fuel.
Highlighting the financial burden of maintaining such reserves, he noted, “Every day, it costs me to maintain 500 million litres in our tanks. If I could recoup this investment, I could be charging 32% interest.”
Dangote reiterated his commitment to supporting the government's fuel supply goals, assuring, “Our tanks are full, and we are ready to keep Nigeria’s fuel supply flowing smoothly if the marketers do their part.”