The CEO of Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Farouk Ahmed, has stated that the diesel produced by Dangote Refinery and other local refineries is of inferior quality compared to imported products.
Ahmed noted that while the West African standard for diesel sulphur content is 50 ppm, Dangote Refinery and other major refineries produce diesel with sulphur content ranging from 650 to 1,200ppm.
“So, in terms of quality, currently, the AGO quality in terms of sulphur is the lowest as far as West African requirement of 50 ppm.
“Dangote Refinery, as well as some major refineries, like Walter Smith’s refinery, other refineries – they produce 650 to 1,200ppm. So, in terms of quality, their quality is much, much inferior to the imported commodities,” Ahmed said while speaking with journalists in Abuja on Thursday.
He also debunked claims that NMDPRA was attempting to sabotage Dangote Refinery’s operations by limiting crude oil supply from international oil companies (IOCs).
He explained that the refinery is still in the pre-commissioning stage and has not been licensed yet, and that relying solely on one refinery for national supply would promote monopoly and jeopardise energy security.
Ahmed’s comments come in response to allegations by Dangote Industries Limited that IOCs were making it difficult for them to access local crude, forcing them to use middlemen and pay inflated prices.
However, the NMDPRA CEO maintained that suspending importation of petroleum products would not be in the best interest of the nation’s energy security.
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