Engineers hail Dangote oil refinery as ‘fantastic, mind-blowing’

 

●As the company prepares to launch the PMS
● Dangote praised for hiring and training Nigerian engineers

The League of Engineering Bodies in Nigeria has praised the sheer scale of the engineering facilities at the Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals and Dangote Fertiliser Plant in Ibeju-Lekki, Lagos State, describing the complex’s superstructure as impressive and mind-blowing, just as the company gears up for the launch of its premium motor spirit (PMS) product, also known as petrol.

The League, comprising the National Society of Engineers (NSE), Nigerian Academy of Engineering (NAE), Association of Consulting Engineering in Nigeria (ACEN) and Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN), visited the complex over the weekend where they were received by the Vice President, Oil and Gas, Dangote Industries Limited, Mr. Devakumar Edwin.

The Corps of Engineers further commended the Chairman of Dangote Industries Limited, Aliko Dangote, for recruiting and training highly qualified Nigerian engineers, who acted as guides during the visit, and said engineering is alive in Nigeria, from the workforce to the construction of the Dangote Refinery Complex.

In an interactive session, the 34th and first female president of the Nigerian Society of Engineers, Margaret Oguntala, described the facility as “mind-blowing.” She added that the refinery project, from construction to deployment, gives her hope and confidence that young Nigerian engineers are ready to take on the world.

“I was amazed to see the state-of-the-art facility at Dangote Refinery; what I see here today will blow any engineer’s mind; it’s just like in the movies. I was an intern at Port Harcourt Refinery and I also visited Kaduna Refinery. It’s nothing compared to what I see here. The young engineer who showed us around showed capability and we are happy that you are building the future of engineers. We at NSE support you. We will take this news home and let the world know that engineering is alive at Dangote Refinery,” she added.

Speaking on behalf of the Nigerian Academy of Engineering, Prof. Azikwe Peter Onwualu also noted that the visitors saw “something good and Nigerians must know about it”.

Prof. Onwualu added: “We are happy that some of our colleagues are part of your system. We would like to remind the Chairman of Dangote Group, Mr. Aliko Dangote, that if you are not doing something great, you will not be criticized. Whatever you are doing, keep doing it. If we have this kind of development all over Nigeria, people will not talk about protests. Keep doing what you are doing and you will hear from us.”

Also, the Chairman of the Council for Regulatory Affairs of Engineering in Nigeria, COREN, Prof. Sadiq Abubakar, enthused that Nigerian engineers are not inferior to their counterparts globally, and the Dangote Refinery is visible proof of that. “We have heard that Nigerians are not inferior in engineering globally. We know our capabilities and this is evidence of that. What we have seen today is exciting and I wonder what is the motivation behind this colossal investment. We would like to encourage him to maintain the spirit of a true Nigerian.”

Answering questions, Group Vice President Oil and Gas, Mr Edwin, debunked the myth of monopoly, saying that someone has to start a project before others follow.

“Nigeria was a major importer of cement, then we started producing it and then we became an exporter. The same goes for sugar, salt and now fertilizers. This has opened the doors for other investors in those sectors and Nigeria is benefiting from it.

“What motivates Mr. Dangote is his pure interest in the Nigerian project. Yes, we are in business to make money, but the question is where does the money go? Every penny Dangote earns goes back into the Nigerian economy, from cement to salt, sugar and fertilizer.”

“Dangote Refinery’s corporate strategy is to minimize energy costs and overall cost of production; build as green as possible; maximize value addition; maximize gasoline which is in high demand with about 55 percent of production capacity compared to 22 percent of existing refineries in Nigeria; strategically placed marine infrastructure for crude reception and product evacuation; state of the art technology; produce Euro V products; provide flexibility to crude oil and create a $21 billion per annum Nigerian crude market,” Mr Edwin added.

Speaking to reporters, Dangote Refinery Technical Advisor, Eng. Babajide Soyode said the visit from his fellow professionals made him “very proud”. He added that “I knew the project was tough, but Aliko Dangote is tougher. He follows his passion. His corporate vision is to meet the needs of the people. It is the greatest honor of my life to be part of this project.”

According to Mr Edwin, the Dangote Refinery is ready to start producing petrol, a process that should complement the refinery’s current products, stimulate local supply of a product essential to Nigerians and save the country huge foreign exchange earnings.

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