Dangote Debunks NMDPRA's Farouk Ahmed's Allegation Of Substandard Products

 

Aliko Dangote has reacted after Farouk Ahmed, chief executive officer of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) claimed the Dangote Refinery produces substandard products.

 

Dangote, Africa’s richest man refuted the claims that petroleum products from his refinery are substandard.

 

He denied the allegations on Saturday when members of the house of representatives visited the refinery in Lagos.

 

Tajudeen Abbas, speaker of the house of representative and Benjamin Kalu, the deputy, led the delegation.

 

On July 18, Farouk Ahmed, chief executive officer of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), said local refineries, including the Dangote refinery, were producing inferior products compared to imports.

 

In his defense during the visit on Saturday, Dangote said diesel bought from two filling stations and that from his refinery were tested at the refinery’s laboratories.

 

Dangote said the test was carried out using an Energy Dispersive X-ray Fluorescence (ED-XRF) Spectro Photometer, using the ASTM D4294 method.

 

ASTM D4294 test method provides rapid and precise measurement of total sulfur in petroleum and petroleum products with a minimum of sample preparation. A typical analysis time is 1 min to 5 min per sample.

 

He said the diesel was bought in the presence of the lawmakers.

“Our quality is about 600 to 650 ppm and is one of the best in terms of quality at that time when we started. But as at today, we’re at 87 ppm,” he said

 

 

The flash point of any liquid is the lowest temperature at which it will produce sufficient vapour to produce a flammable mixture in the air.

 

Dangote also said the best way to determine the quality of products being imported and sold to Nigerians is by going to the filling stations and buying and testing them.

 

“The most important thing, your excellency, is to note that the imported one they are encouraging, is the spec in the test, but in certain cases when you check (independently), different results will show,” Dangote added.

 

He further said the result does not only prove the reality of products from his refinery, but it also shows that substandard petroleum products are being imported into the country and sold to unsuspecting Nigerians.

“Speaker Abbas said going by the presentation and the contradictory claims, there was a need for an investigation,” Dangote added.

 

 

On June 4, Dangote said some international oil companies (IOCs) were struggling to supply crude to his refinery.

 

Speaking on Arise TV on July 15, Gbenga Komolafe, chief executive officer of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) described the claim as “erroneous” as the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) has provisions that guide willing buyer-willing seller transactions.

 

A few days later, the management of DIL insisted that IOCs were frustrating its request to purchase crude feedstock for the Dangote refinery.

 

The Dangote refinery intends to commence the supply of petrol in August.