The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, on Monday, met with the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL), Mele Kyari, Chief Executive of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, (NMDPRA) Farouk Ahmed and the Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, Gbenga Komolafe all key stakeholders in the oil and gas sector and major stakeholders in the ongoing dispute between the Dangote Refinery and other players in the oil industry which has now become a public spectacle, in a bid to resolve the ongoing issues.
Details of the meeting were revealed in a statement by Lokpobiri’s Special Adviser, Media and Communication, Nneamaka Okafor.
“The meeting focused on finding a sustainable and lasting solution to the current impasse affecting the Dangote Refinery, with all parties demonstrating a commitment to collaborative and proactive problem-solving.
“The Honourable Minister emphasised the importance of cooperation and synergy among all stakeholders to ensure the success and optimal performance of the Oil and Gas sector, which is pivotal for Nigeria’s economic growth and energy security,” the statement read.
Recall, the chief executive of NMDPRA, Farouk Ahmed, made claims that Dangote had requested the regulator to stop giving import licenses to other marketers to be the only fuel supplier in Nigeria.
“We cannot rely heavily on one refinery to feed the nation, because Dangote is requesting that we should suspend or stop importation of all petroleum products, especially AGO and direct all marketers to the refinery, that is not good for the nation in terms of energy security. And that is not good for the market, because of monopoly,” Ahmed said.
In response, Dangote claimed he had not asked nor received incentives from the government and offered to sell the refinery to the NNPCL.
