Nigeria’s interest is the first, not a passing, said shettima

The federal government has reiterated its commitment to the success of the dangote refinery worth $ 20 billion, describing it as a national asset that must be protected and supported by all means.

Speaking on Monday at the opening of the 2025 Nigerian Economics Summit in Abuja, Vice President Kashim Shettima stressed that the interests of the country must come before any working group, stated that “Nigeria is greater than Pengassan.”

The statement took part in the national industrial action last week by oil workers under the Nigerian Senior Oil and Gas Staff Association (Pengassan), which affected the 650,000 barrels of refinery per day and other major facilities.

Vice President Shettima said: “Aliko dangote, he is not an individual, he is an institution, and he is the main light in the Nigerian economic parliament. And how we treat this man will determine how outsiders will judge us. If he invests $ 10 billion in Microsoft, in Amazon, or on Google, he may be worth $ 70 billion by.

“But he chose to invest in his country, and we owe to future generations to protect, promote, preserve, and protect the great interests of Nigeria.

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“I want to call on the hearts, retrospect, and a deeper patriotism of the two workers and the private sector that are organized in defining and increasing relations between labor and industry in order to maintain our economic luck that continues to improve economic wealth.

“This is not about holding the whole nation for ransom due to a small labor dispute. Nigeria is greater than Pengassan. Nigeria is greater than each of us. I don’t come to you as a partisan.”

Minister of Budget and National Planning, Senator Atiku Bagudu, who also spoke at the event, strengthened the government’s position, said the dangote refinery represented the foundation of Nigerian industrial and economic transformation, and must be given every support needed to function optimally.

Bagudu said that administration views refineries not only as a private business, but as a strategic national project with the potential to reduce fuel imports, stabilize Naira, create thousands of jobs, and strengthen energy security.

He added that the government would continue to involve stakeholders of labor and industry to ensure that legitimate disputes did not thwart national progress or prevent future investment.