Top officials at Dangote Industries have launched a fresh round of accusations against International Oil Companies, (IOCs) saying they are deliberately sabotaging Nigeria’s largest privately-owned refinery.
“They are deliberately and wilfully frustrating our efforts to buy local crude,” said Devakumar Edwin, Vice-President of Oil and Gas at Dangote Industries.
“They are hiking prices above market rates just to push us into importing crude from the US.”
Edwin believes the tactics are part of a broader scheme to ensure Nigeria remained dependent on imported fuel—a system that enriches oil giants while stifling domestic growth.
“They want to keep exporting raw crude to their countries, refining it there, and dumping the expensive fuel back into Nigeria,” he added.
The Dangote refinery, which began producing petrol in September, was designed to reverse Nigeria’s reliance on imported fuel.
But the journey has been anything but smooth. From alleged sabotage to regulatory setbacks, the Dangote Refinery has had to fight its way forward.
Despite the odds, Edwin says the refinery was pressing on, pledging to meet local demand and stabilize the market—even if it meant navigating hostile terrain.
“It’s a tough game, but we’re not backing down,” he said.
