Alhaji Aliko Dangote, President of Dangote Refinery, has dismissed claims that former U.S. President Donald Trump is displeased with the $20 billion refinery in Nigeria.
The remarks follow social media speculation linking Trump’s recent threats to target certain locations in Nigeria to the establishment of Africa’s largest refinery. Trump had earlier warned of potential strikes against terrorists targeting Christians in the country.
Addressing the press, Dangote said such claims are baseless, noting that the United States is a major supplier of crude oil to the refinery.
“The U.S. has been one of our major suppliers of crude. So when someone says Trump is not happy with our refinery, it’s not true,” Dangote said.
He added that Trump “is more than happy” with the refinery, emphasizing that the refinery purchases no more than 100 million barrels of crude from the U.S. annually.
Dangote also highlighted the benefits of the refinery for Nigerian consumers, noting that locally refined petrol is now available at a cheaper price than imported fuel.
“Fuel importers may continue to incur losses, while Nigerians enjoy more affordable petrol prices,” he said.
He explained that the availability of locally refined petrol gives consumers a clear choice between high-quality, lower-cost fuel and blended imported Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) sold at higher prices.
The refinery’s operations, according to Dangote, aim to reduce Nigeria’s reliance on imported fuel while improving access to quality petrol for domestic consumers.
