African Refiners and Distributors Association (ARDA) has congratulated Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, and the Dangote Group for the successful commissioning of a world-class 650,000 barrels per day refinery and petrochemicals facility in Lagos.

ARDA President and Chief Executive of the National Petroleum Authority of Ghana, Dr Mustapha Abdul-Hamid, said in a release that while the association continues to work alongside the African Union Commission (AUC) to harmonise fuel specifications across Africa, the Dangote Refinery was designed to produce cleaner AFRI-6 (10 ppm sulphur) fuels from the onset. 

Dr Abdul-Hamid said the refinery was a game-changer for Africa’s clean fuels journey as its start-up will reduce import of high-sulphur fuels into the continent while meeting climate commitments and reducing public health challenges. 

According to Dr Abdul-Hamid, “This strategic move by the Alhaji Dangote and the Dangote Group will also assure Africa’s energy security even as the continent’s growing energy needs are met in a sustainable manner while reducing foreign exchange expended on petroleum products imports, providing employment and promoting a strong market for African crude oil on the continent amidst the global push away from fossil fuels.”

ARDA Executive Secretary and former NNPC COO Refining & Petrochemicals Mr Anibor Kragha also commended Alhaji Dangote and said the refinery has highlighted the viability of large-scale downstream industry investments that are fundamental for Africa to refine its own crude oil and create a robust, intra-African energy market amidst the global geopolitics and energy transition concerns. 

Kragha also said that successful investments like the Dangote Refinery will positively impact the petroleum products supply chain dynamics of various African countries and will be critical for the continent to develop and implement a unique, integrated, sustainable African Downstream Energy Transition Roadmap that will prioritise cleaner, low-sulphur fuels and carbon emissions reduction efforts in the near-term and mature, cost-effective renewable energy solutions later. 

In November last year, an ARDA delegation including the Executive Secretary and top executives from refineries and storage and distribution companies in Senegal (SAR, SENSTOCK and Elton Oil), Cote d’Ivoire (SIR and SMB), Gabon (SOGARA) and Zambia (Indeni) as well as the Department of Hydrocarbons in the Ministry of Cote d’Ivoire and ARSE, the downstream regulator in Niger Republic toured the Dangote Refinery site and had commended the intense efforts to bring the refinery on stream. 

Kragha said “The commissioning of the Dangote Refinery about six months after the ARDA delegation visit last November serves as a testimony to the vision and doggedness of the excellent Dangote team to deliver a world-class ‘Refinery of the Future’ that prioritises cleaner fuels and maximises value addition via petrochemicals facilities while reducing its carbon footprint in line with global best practices.”