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Dangote Refinery: PETROAN President, Billy Gillis-Harry, calls on Tinubu, stakeholders to be wary
The President of the Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Owners Association, (PETROAN), Billy Gillis-Harry, has called on the current administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and other stakeholders to be wary of Dangote Refinery and its fuel price regime in the coming months, with a view to avoiding cannibalization of small businesses in the oil and gas sector.
Gillis-Harry, who stated that though the current administration wants Dangote refinery to start producing on all four valves widely open and wide, expressed that there is a need to be very cautious about the development of the business.
He made the submission during an interview with, Daily Post, adding that he is proud of the development as a Nigerian, particularly with 650,000 barrels of crude oil “but I just hope that his pride will not keep me hungry without being in business.”
“Well, we want Dangote refinery to start producing on all four valves. All valves should be open and wide. However, there’s a need to be cautious about the development of the business. 650,000 barrels of crude oil and we’re very proud. As a Nigerian, I’m very proud.
“Because right now, we’re doing our little businesses from importation. We’re doing it. To my knowledge, nobody has brought substandard products except when there was a general product of PMS that came in that of course explanations were given. To my knowledge, none of my members have come to say, Oh, we bought PMS as a company and the rating is low. Of course with our 3P’s solution, we also take measures on the product.
“Believe me, I will not be able to say either yes or no but I think that such a broad-based allegation by Dangote Refinery should be backed with empirical evidence. It shouldn’t be just a one-off allegation because people are importing products. These products are going to be used like Shell and AGIP and different stakeholders in the industry that are using it to be able to further produce crude oil. So I mean, if there is a presentation like that, we should expect the houses also to come out and tell us the whole part of the story. And then of course Depots and Petroleum Products Marketers Association of Nigeria, DAPPMAN responded by saying oh, sorry, our members are not bringing it,” he maintained.
Speaking further, PETROAN President noted that it would advise Dangote Refinery to also have stakeholders’ meetings consistently to be able to review the obtainable price in the industry, and avoid being monopolistic in its dealings.
“We want a situation where Dangote will consistently work with the rules, let him refine and then let the depots distribute and let the retailers take from the depots and give to the end users, he stated.
While saying there is a need for domestic revaluation of the Oil and Gas industry, he explained that the Dangote Refinery must be able to fix prices at an affordable rate for Nigerians immediately it commences fuel supply
He said: “The reason is, now why should Dangote buy crude oil in US dollars? We are not printing US dollars in Nigeria. So even though oil is dominated as an international commodity that is predicated on the US dollar, part of the emergency decisions that I should expect to happen is that we are going to produce 2 million barrels of crude oil strictly for our domestic consumption, and we’re going to price it at the Nigerian Naira.
“Of course. That’s why sometimes I bother to ask. How did it get so bad that Dangote Refinery had to import crude oil? Because they will not have told him about the Bonny light because they’re also producing oil there. But they are importing from other countries and storing up. So we need to register the entire system and be transparently honest because for crying out loud, being the poorest man or the richest man in the world, we are all equal.”
Similarly, he touched on the deadlines and missed deadlines for the take-off of the Port Harcourt, Kaduna, and Warri refineries, expressing that the government is doing everything possible to make them up and running.
He concluded that PETROAN is working with those who would be given refinery licenses that did not have capacity and partnership, saying they have enough retail outlets to be able to obtain from them enough partnership and guarantee for them to further raise capital to be able to do the work.
The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) has dismissed media reports suggesting that the recently resuscitated old Port Harcourt refinery has been shut down, labeling such claims as baseless and misleading.
In a statement issued in Abuja on Saturday, the Chief Corporate Communications Officer of NNPCL, Olufemi Soneye, clarified that the refinery, with a capacity of 60,000 barrels per day, is “fully operational.”
The facility resumed operations two months ago after years of inactivity.
“We wish to clarify that such reports are totally false, as the refinery is fully operational, as verified a few days ago by former Group Managing Directors of NNPC,” Soneye said.
He added that preparations for the day’s loading operation are currently underway, emphasizing that the public should disregard the claims.
“Members of the public are advised to discountenance such reports as they are the figments of the imagination of those who want to create artificial scarcity and rip off Nigerians,” Soneye stated.
The old Port Harcourt refinery is part of the country’s efforts to revive its local refining capacity. Three years ago, the Federal Government approved $1.5 billion to rehabilitate the plant, which was initially shut down in 2019 due to operational challenges.
Despite being one of the largest oil producers globally, Nigeria has long relied on fuel imports to meet its domestic needs, swapping crude oil for petrol and other refined products. This dependency, coupled with government subsidies, has strained the nation’s foreign exchange reserves.
The recent return of the Port Harcourt refinery to operation follows the commissioning of the Dangote refinery, which began petrol production in September 2024. These developments are expected to reduce Nigeria’s reliance on imports and address long-standing issues in the petroleum sector.
The Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, has declared that the era of armed and bank robberies in Lagos State is a thing of the past, attributing the success to the collaborative efforts between the police and the state government.
Egbetokun made this statement on Thursday during the 18th Annual Town Hall Meeting on Security organized by the Lagos State Security Trust Fund (LSSTF). He noted that since 2007, only one bank robbery had been successfully executed in the state, which occurred in 2014.
“There was a time when armed robbery and bank robbery were common in Lagos. However, I can confidently say that since 2007, only one bank robbery succeeded, and that was as far back as 2014. The days of armed robbery and bank robbery are gone,” he said.
The IGP commended the Lagos State Government for its consistent support, emphasizing the critical role it has played in maintaining security in the bustling economic hub of the nation. He highlighted the challenges posed by the state’s continuous internal migration, with thousands of people moving into Lagos daily, creating additional security demands.
“What we are doing here today is the usual assistance the state government has been giving to the police. Without this, we would have been overwhelmed with insecurity in Lagos State,” Egbetokun added.
At the event, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu further demonstrated his administration’s commitment to security by donating over 250 brand-new patrol vehicles, along with hardware, communication gadgets, and protective gear to the police.
In his address, Sanwo-Olu outlined the government’s efforts to scale up the use of technology and data for improved security and traffic monitoring. He revealed plans to deploy drone technology for surveillance of waterways and densely populated areas.
“The EGIS component of our mapping and digitalization has almost been completed. Lagos is now properly mapped, and drone technology will be deployed to enhance monitoring, crowd management, and traffic assessment. This will ensure real-time responses to incidents,” the governor explained.
Chad announced Thursday that it was ending military cooperation with former colonial power France, just hours after a visit by French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot.
“The government of the Republic of Chad informs national and international opinion of its decision to end the accord in the field of defence signed with the French Republic,” foreign minister Abderaman Koulamallah said in a statement on Facebook.
Chad is a key link in France’s military presence in Africa, constituting Paris’s last foothold in the Sahel after the forced withdrawal of its troops from Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger.
“This is not a break with France like Niger or elsewhere,” Koulamallah, whose country still hosts around a thousand French troops, told AFP.
At a press briefing after a meeting between President Mahamat Idriss Deby and Barrot, Koulamallah called France “an essential partner” but added it “must now also consider that Chad has grown up, matured and is a sovereign state that is very jealous of its sovereignty”.
Barrot, who arrived in Ethiopia on Thursday evening, could not immediately be reached for comment.
– ‘Historic turning point’-
Chad is the last Sahel country to host French troops.
It has been led by Deby since 2021, when his father Idriss Deby Itno was killed by rebels after 30 years in power.
The elder Deby frequently relied on French military support to fend off rebel offensives, including in 2008 and 2019.
It borders the Central African Republic, Sudan, Libya and Niger, all of which host Russian paramilitary forces from the Wagner group.
Deby has sought closer ties with Moscow in recent months, but talks to strengthen economic cooperation with Russia have yet to bear concrete results.
Koulamallah called the decision to end military cooperation a “historic turning point”, adding it was made after “in-depth analysis”.
“Chad, in accordance with the provisions of the agreement, undertakes to respect the terms laid down for its termination, including the notice period”, he said in the statement, which did not give a date for the withdrawal of French troops.
The announcement comes just days after Senegal’s President Bassirou Diomaye Faye indicated in an interview with AFP that France should close its military bases in that country.
“Senegal is an independent country, it is a sovereign country and sovereignty does not accept the presence of military bases in a sovereign country,” Faye told AFP on Thursday.
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