The Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Bayo Ojulari, has said Nigerians should be grateful for the Dangote Refinery, describing it as a major relief to the country’s oil and gas sector.
Ojulari made the remark on Wednesday at the International Energy Summit 2026 in Abuja, noting that the 650,000-barrel-per-day Dangote Refinery has helped ease pressure on Nigeria’s fuel supply system.
According to him, the current NNPCL management has deliberately chosen a collaborative relationship with the privately owned refinery rather than a confrontational one.
While acknowledging that the Dangote Refinery is yet to fully meet Nigeria’s domestic fuel demand, Ojulari said its operations have significantly reduced the country’s vulnerability to fuel supply disruptions.
“Thank God for Dangote Refinery. Thank God. Whether you love Dangote or you hate him, say whatever you want to say, Nigerians should thank God for Dangote,” he said, drawing applause from participants.
Ojulari added, “Thank God he’s a Nigerian. He’s not someone from another continent or another planet. Despite everything, that gave us an opportunity because we have a refinery that is working.
“Yes, it may not meet our full needs, but it gives us a breathing space. And luckily, we are shareholders in that refinery as well.”
He further stressed that collaboration with the Dangote Refinery remains central to NNPCL’s strategy.
“Our strategy is to collaborate with the Dangote Refinery and maximise the value delivered to Nigerians,” Ojulari said.
His comments come amid a recent increase in fuel prices nationwide, following a rise in ex-depot prices by Dangote Refinery and other depot owners, a development that has pushed petrol pump prices in Abuja to between N839 and N905 per litre.