The league of engineering bodies in Nigeria has hailed the impressive scale of engineering at the Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals, as well as the Dangote Fertiliser Plant in Ibeju-Lekki, Lagos State. The engineers described the complex as “mind-blowing” and “awesome,” as the company prepares to roll out its premium motor spirit (PMS) product, commonly known as petrol.
The League, which includes the National Society of Engineers (NSE), Nigerian Academy of Engineering (NAE), Association of Consulting Engineering in Nigeria (ACEN), and the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN), toured the complex over the weekend. They were received by Mr. Devakumar Edwin, Vice President of Oil & Gas at Dangote Industries Limited.
During the visit, the engineers commended Aliko Dangote, President of Dangote Industries Limited, for his foresight in hiring and nurturing highly-skilled Nigerian engineers who served as their guides during the tour. They expressed pride in the state of engineering in Nigeria, as demonstrated by the work at the Dangote Refinery complex.
In an interactive session, Margaret Oguntala, the 34th and first female President of the Nigerian Society of Engineers, described the facility as “mind-blowing.” She noted that the refinery project, from construction to employment, gave her hope and assurance that young Nigerian engineers are ready to take on global challenges.
“I was awed to see the state-of-the-art facility at the Dangote Refinery; what I see here today will blow the mind of any engineer; it is just like the movies. I was an intern at the Port Harcourt Refinery and also visited the Kaduna Refinery, but they are nothing compared to what I see here. The young engineers who guided us around showed remarkable capacity, and we are happy that you are building the future of engineering. The NSE stands behind you, and we shall let the world know that engineering is alive at the Dangote Refinery,” she said.
Professor Azikwe Peter Onwualu, speaking on behalf of the Nigerian Academy of Engineering, remarked that what they witnessed was extraordinary, urging that more Nigerians should be made aware of such achievements.
“We are happy that some of our fellows are part of your system. We would like to remind Mr. Aliko Dangote that if you are not doing something great, you would not be criticized. Whatever you are doing, keep it up. If we had this kind of development across Nigeria, people wouldn’t be talking about protests. Keep doing what you are doing, and you will continue to hear our support,” Onwualu added.
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Professor Sadiq Abubakar, President of COREN, echoed these sentiments, emphasizing that Nigerian engineers are not inferior to their global counterparts, and the Dangote Refinery is visible proof of this. “We have always known that Nigerians excel in engineering globally. Today’s visit is emotional, and I am amazed at the motivation behind this colossal investment. We encourage Mr. Dangote to keep the spirit of a true Nigerian alive,” he said.
Responding to questions, Mr. Edwin addressed concerns about the monopoly tag often associated with the Dangote Group. He explained that every successful project begins with a pioneer, and others follow suit.
“Nigeria was once one of the largest importers of cement, but we started manufacturing cement and soon became exporters. The same applies to sugar, salt, and now fertiliser. These breakthroughs have opened doors for other investors, and Nigeria is better for it,” Edwin said.
He further outlined the Dangote Refinery’s business strategy, which focuses on minimizing energy and production costs, building an environmentally friendly facility, maximizing value addition, and strategically locating marine infrastructure for crude receipt and product evacuation. The refinery is poised to produce Euro V standard products and contribute significantly to the Nigerian economy.
Engr. Babajide Soyode, Technical Consultant to Dangote Refinery, expressed pride in the visit of his professional colleagues. “I knew the project was a hard one, but Aliko Dangote is even harder. He follows up on his passion, and his corporate vision is to meet the needs of the people. It is the greatest honour of my life to be part of this project,” Soyode remarked.
The Dangote Refinery is set to begin the production of petrol, which is expected to complement the existing products at the refinery, boost local supply, and save Nigeria significant foreign exchange.
