AKINWALE ABOLUWADE
Business mogul, Aliko Dangote, has expressed the assurance that the Dangote Petroleum Refinery currently has over 500 million litres of petrol in its reservoir.
The President of the Dangote Group also revealed that the refinery now produces enough fuel for local consumption and export.
He made the disclosure during a tour of the refinery with the Zambia Minister of Energy, Makozo Chikote on Saturday.
The Zambian official called for collaboration with the businessman in a bid to address his country’s energy security issue.
Dangote said during the tour that the refinery currently has N600billion worth of stocks in its tank farm, adding that the plant would reach 650,000 barrels per day production capacity next month.
He said, “We can satisfy more than the local needs of Nigeria. As we speak, we have more than half a billion litres (of petrol). We have more than N600billion worth of stocks here today in the refinery. We have more than enough. The refinery is producing enough refined products, like gasoline, diesel, and kerosene, to meet 100 per cent of Nigeria’s requirements.”
This happened as fears began to build about the likelihood of fuel scarcity in Lagos and other parts of Nigeria as tanker drivers have stopped fuel loading over their alleged harassment by officials of the Lagos State Government and the Federal Ministry of Transportation.
It was gathered that the truck drivers were unable to load fuel on Saturday and Sunday, thereby creating fears of possible scarcity in Lagos and other neighboring states.
The Lagos State Government, however said it was enforcing its e-call-up system, stressing that attempts to blackmail the state government would not work
