Aliko Dangote, President of the Dangote Group, has raised fresh concerns over what he describes as organised and deliberate attempts to undermine Nigeria’s domestic refining capacity, warning that entrenched oil interests are operating in ways comparable to criminal syndicates.
Speaking during a briefing at the Dangote Petroleum Refinery in Lekki, Lagos, the industrialist alleged that powerful players within the oil and gas value chain are actively working to frustrate local refining projects in order to protect profitable fuel import arrangements.
According to Dangote, these groups operate quietly but effectively, inflicting significant financial and operational damage on refineries while remaining largely invisible to the public. He revealed that his refinery has suffered extensive losses from repeated theft, vandalism, and operational disruptions, forcing the company to deploy unusually high levels of security to safeguard critical assets.
Dangote explained that some acts of sabotage appear strategically planned to weaken refinery operations and trigger costly insurance claims, a situation that would ultimately drive up operating costs and threaten long-term sustainability.
He further alleged that critical equipment has been tampered with during live operations, describing incidents where key components were removed from major industrial systems while they were in use. According to him, these actions go beyond ordinary vandalism and point to coordinated interference.
Expanding his concerns beyond his own facility, Dangote questioned the widespread destruction of Nigeria’s petroleum infrastructure, including pipelines and depots built to support nationwide fuel distribution. He argued that the near-total collapse of these assets over time reflects systemic sabotage rather than neglect.
The refinery owner also referenced repeated disruptions faced by other refining facilities across the country, noting that such patterns suggest the existence of a broader network determined to keep Nigeria dependent on fuel imports.
Dangote warned that unless decisive action is taken to confront these interests, Nigeria’s ambition to achieve energy security through local refining will remain under threat. He stressed that domestic refining is essential for economic stability, job creation, and price control, adding that allowing import-driven interests to dominate the sector would continue to harm national development.
