The President of the Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, has clarified that there is no competition between the Dangote refinery and the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC), emphasising that both entities are partners in securing Nigeria’s energy future.
This was revealed in a statement issued on Friday by NNPC’s Chief Corporate Communications Officer, Olufemi Soneye, following Dangote’s courtesy visit to the new Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO) of the NNPC, Bayo Ojulari, in Abuja.
The visit was described as part of ongoing efforts to foster mutual cooperation and promote healthy competition between the NNPC and the $20 billion Dangote Refinery, which have long been perceived as rivals — particularly amid recent discussions around crude oil supply and transactions in naira.
Speaking during the meeting, Dangote reaffirmed his commitment to working with NNPC for the benefit of the country.
“There is no competition between us; we are not here to compete with NNPC Ltd. NNPC is part and parcel of our business, and we are also part of NNPC. This is an era of cooperation between the two organisations,” Dangote said.
He also pledged to collaborate with the NNPC under its new leadership to ensure Nigeria’s energy security, acknowledging the significance of the role the national oil company plays.
Dangote had recently stated that certain “cabals,” mainly major marketers, were working against his refinery, but clarified that this did not include the new NNPC board.
During the visit, both parties agreed to strengthen collaboration to advance shared goals of national energy security and prosperity.
Dangote congratulated Ojulari and the newly appointed NNPC senior management team, expressing confidence in their ability to succeed.
“The GCEO should be shouldering a monumental task,” Dangote said, adding that with the capable team at NNPC, the challenges were “surmountable.”
Responding, NNPC GCEO Bayo Ojulari assured Dangote of a partnership based on mutual benefit and aligned goals.
“NNPC will sustain its collaboration with the Dangote Group, especially where there is a commercial advantage for Nigeria,” Ojulari stated.
He also praised the competence and dedication of the NNPC workforce, describing them as “highly skilled and hardworking professionals consistently keen on delivering value for Nigeria.”
According to the NNPC statement, both executives committed to acting as relationship managers for their respective organisations, ensuring sustained collaboration and constructive competition that would unlock new opportunities for Nigeria’s energy sector.
“Both executives also committed to being the relationship managers for their respective organisations through sustained productive collaboration and healthy competition, thereby envisioning limitless opportunities for both organisations,” the statement concluded.
