Netizens are reacting as Aliko Dangote, owner of Lagos-based refinery, on Tuesday, spoke on pricing for petrol produced at his 650,000 barrels per day facility.
The refinery owner said as soon as his company finalises modalities with the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), the product will hit the market.
“Our PMS (Premium Motor Spirit) can be in filling stations within the next 48 hours depending on NNPCL,” he said.
Asked to speak on the pricing of petrol from his refinery, Dangote said, “It is an arrangement which is designed and approved by the Federal Executive Council led by His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
“As soon as it is finalised, which he (Tinubu) is pushing, once we finish with NNPC, it can be today, it can be tomorrow, we are ready to roll into the market.
He declared that “it’s a celebration day” for Nigerians and assured all citizens that they “are now going to have good petrol while the engines of your vehicles will last longer. You will not be having an engine issue, which a lot of us were having. It won’t happen at all”.
“The quality here will match that of anywhere in the world; US, America, we will make sure that nobody will beat us in terms of quality,” Dangote said.
Last December, Dangote, Africa’s leading industrialist, commenced operations at his $20bn facility sited in Lagos with 350,000 barrels a day.
The refinery, which was initially bogged by regulatory battles, hopes to achieve its full capacity of 650,000 barrels per day by the end of the year.
“This is a good development”, Chima Echefule (@Chimacoeche) tweeted in response to the news.
But eddiebrendan the mediaguy @eddiebrendan seems yet unconvinced as netizen queries, “What’s the impact on the current price of fuel? That’s what’s most important at this time”.
As E Dey H0T (@As_E_Dey_H0T), tweets: “Now, I can smile. It is not just the smile ooo BUT the price too must reduce”.
Jess (@jessxluuna) believes Dangote Refinery will be a game changer for Nigeria’s quest towards local refining of PMS – “sounds promising! if it really happens, it’ll be a game changer for Nigeria”.
Meanwhile, local refining of crude oil has been an age-long conversation in Nigeria.
For years, expressions have centered on:
1. Will Local Refinery of Fuel lead to lower price of PMS at the filling Station?
2. Without subsidy, will Dangote Refinery sell close to N600 or it will tilt towards N1,000?
3. Will Local Refinery owned by Govt do better than the ones by individuals even when the citizens seem to agree that government doesn’t know how to run business efficiently?
4. Will this be the end of fuel scarcity both real and artificial scarcity we’ve been having till date?
Well, time shall tell.
But, currently, NNPC Limited’s tankers are already facing Dangote Refinery to get fuel with the netizens hoping will not turn around to call Dangote a monopolist.
