Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari will commission the multi-billion dollar Dangote Refinery in Lagos in two weeks, Buhari’s Special Assistant on Digital Communications, Bashir Ahmad said.
Ahmad remarked that large refinery would boost the Federal Government’s endeavor to end the country's reliance on imports of refined petroleum products.
"Efforts by the Federal Government to make Nigeria self-sufficient in local refining of crude oil to save the scarce foreign exchange used in the importation of petroleum products have received a boost as the 650,000 barrels per day Dangote Refinery is set for inauguration on May 22nd, 2023, by President Muhammadu Buhari," the assistant said.
He also noted that Dangote Refinery in Lagos, the construction of which started in 2016, is the world’s largest single-train refinery.
The value of the Dangote refinery rose to $19 billion from initial estimates of $12-14 billion after years of delays, according to the Group Executive Devakumar Edwin.
The oil refinery complex in Nigeria is being built by a company owned by Aliko Dangote, Africa’s richest person and the 86th richest person in the world with a net worth of $13.5 billion. In April 2014, TIME Magazine listed him among its 100 "Most Influential People in the World."