Africa’s richest man and President of the Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, has cleared the air on the supposed rivalry between his $20 billion refinery and the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC). According to him, there’s no competition—only partnership.
Dangote made this known on Thursday during a visit to the new Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPC, Bayo Ojulari, at the company’s headquarters in Abuja. The visit, according to a statement from NNPC’s spokesperson Olufemi Soneye, was part of ongoing efforts to strengthen collaboration between the two energy giants and ensure Nigeria’s energy future is secured.
For a while, there had been tension over the supply of crude oil—especially concerning payments in naira versus dollars—and many assumed it signaled a turf war. Dangote even recently alleged that certain "cabals" were working against his refinery. However, he made it clear that those he referred to were mostly major marketers and not the current NNPC leadership.
“There’s no competition here,” Dangote said during the meeting. “NNPC is part of our business, and we are also part of NNPC. We’re in an era of collaboration, not rivalry.”
The Dangote Group and NNPC have now agreed to work more closely, not just to boost energy production but to make sure the gains reach Nigerians across the board. Dangote also congratulated Ojulari and his management team, saying they have a tough task ahead, but he believes they’re more than capable of delivering results.
Ojulari, in his response, echoed similar sentiments. He described the NNPC workforce as highly skilled and committed to driving innovation that benefits the country. He promised that the partnership with Dangote Group will be based on healthy competition and mutual benefit, especially where it helps Nigeria commercially.
Both leaders also committed to personally managing the relationship between their organizations to ensure consistent collaboration going forward. With these two powerhouses working together instead of against each other, Nigeria’s energy sector might just be entering a new era of shared progress.
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