AFTER successfully mobilising funds for his $9 billion investment in refining and petrochemical sub-sector of the petroleum industry, president of Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, has declared that only an enabling environment provided by all stakeholders in the industry remains a panacea for any meaningful investment in the local oil and gas industry, for the growth and development of the nation\u2019s economy.<\/p>\n
This is even as the organised\u00a0 labour declared its support for the project and hailed his business doggedness and\u00a0 pioneering effort\u00a0 aimed at\u00a0 ridding the nation of waste of resources,\u00a0 through importation of refined products by commencing establishment of local refinery that will guarantee\u00a0 sufficient local consumption and export.<\/p>\n
Just as he\u00a0 called on the government to muster necessary political will to deal with issues threatening investments in the oil sector, so that other investors would have confidence to come\u00a0 on board,\u00a0 he\u00a0 appealed for President Goodluck\u00a0 Jonathan\u2019s support as regards economic transformation agenda for acceleration of the growth of Nigeria\u2019s economy.<\/p>\n
Speaking as the chairman at the\u00a0 third Quadrennial\u00a0 Delegates\u2019\u00a0 Conference of the National Union f Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), in Port Harcourt, at the weekend, the business magnate warned that the\u00a0 dream to refine and produce petroleum products for exports would not come to fruition, unless the Federal Government mustered the political will to drive to its logical conclusion the ongoing reforms in the oil and gas industry.<\/p>\n
Dangote was honoured\u00a0 by the union, as he was\u00a0 also given an award by the\u00a0 union as an exemplary\u00a0 and true industrialist and pioneer of local private refinery.<\/p>\n
The Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB), according to him, is a bold step that was initiated to correct perceived flaws in the industry, as it was intended to address structural, policy and managerial issues in the Nigerian oil and gas sector.<\/p>\n
\u00a0The Dangote Group president, who was\u00a0 represented by his\u00a0 Chief of Staff,\u00a0 Mr Joseph Makoju,\u00a0 said the bill, which had been designed to enhance the value of the sector for the Nigerian people, also\u00a0 sought to block identified loopholes in policies and management agreements and by so doing, improve transparency and efficiency of the sector.<\/p>\n
He said: \u201cWhen the PIB is fully\u00a0 signed into law, it is\u00a0 expected to address observed weaknesses and abuses by operators and stakeholders, eliminate corruption and restructure the industry, in order to make it more responsive to social and economic needs of both Nigerians and\u00a0 investors in the sector.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is now generally accepted that successful passage and signing of the PIB into law is vital to the growth and development of the Nigerian petroleum industry. Amongst other things, it will help address gas flaring, which is a perennial and highly contentious issue in the industry and by improving the empowerment and buy-in of host communities, it will ultimately curtail youth restiveness in the Niger Delta region.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dangote then expressed the need for a collaboration between labour unions\u00a0 which championed the interest of workers and the Organised Private\u00a0 Sector (OPS),\u00a0 noting that this was necessary to ensure that both the privatised industries and those established by individuals, function at optimal levels.<\/p>\n
Addressing the gathering on \u201cReforms\u00a0 in the Oil and Gas Industry: Catalyst for National Growth and Development, What Prospect for the Attainment of Decent Work Agenda?\u201d,\u00a0 Dangote said the labour unions play crucial roles in the economy.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou are the voice of the\u00a0 workers in the oil and gas sector, which is\u00a0 the mainstay of the nation\u2019s economy. This, therefore, places enormous responsibility on you to enhance the\u00a0 stability of the economy and create a peaceful and enabling environment that will attract investors like the Dangote Group to invest in growing the nation\u2019s economy. You have performed excellently well in this regard and you deserve special commendation.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt may be of interest to this particular assembly to learn that the refinery and petrochemical complex, as well as the fertiliser plants,\u00a0 shall be served by an off-site truck parking stop, built\u00a0 entirely to international standards with the linkage of all its amenities and communication to the complex.\u00a0 A communication and electronic monitoring system will\u00a0 be established on each land access route to the complexes to ensure there will be no chaotic traffic congestion near the complexes. The project will be the largest refinery\/petrochemical\/fertiliser complex in Africa.<\/p>\n
\u201cAt the conclusion of the project, Dangote Refinery will meet 100 per cent of local demand\u00a0 for refined fuel products, while polypropylene, which is used in the manufacture of agro-sacks, poly bags and other industrial products, will catalyse the birth of new and allied industries. We are estimating that the project will engage up to 25,000 people over a four-year construction period and will create about 3, 500 permanent jobs when completed,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
In his address, president of the Nigeria Labour Congres (NLC), Abdulwahab Omar, said Nigerian workers\u00a0 would continue to be grateful to Dangote for his penchant to break the odds and establish industries that employs thousands of people, despite the many challenges being faced by investors in establishing industries.<\/p>\n
He\u00a0 stated that Dangote had proven to be\u00a0 a real industrialist desirous of prosperity for the people and\u00a0 the nation, with the establishment of refinery, petrochemical and fertiliser plants, saying he deserved cooperation\u00a0 from the government and the organised labour to make him succeed.<\/p>\n
Speaking also, the President of NUPENG, Igwe Achese, said the union decided to give award to Dangote, because of his steadfastness in promising and fulfilling it, pointing out that when he first mentioned the move to establish refinery, many thought it was a fluke, but today, he has been vindicated with massive fund garnered recently for the purpose.<\/p>\n
He said Dangote was the only pan-African investor Nigeria could be boast of having established his presence in many African countries.<\/p>\n
Achese assured that his union would be ready to contribute in any capacity to make the investment a reality as soon as possible, because ultimately, his union members would be beneficiaries.<\/p>\n
Speaking in the same vein, the Deputy Governor of Rivers State, Tele Ikuru who represented governor Rotimi Amaechi thanked Dangote for his many investments in the country and that more investors like him would change the economy of Nigeria and take it to a great height.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
AFTER successfully mobilising funds for his $9 billion investment in refining and petrochemical sub-sector of the petroleum industry, president of Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, has declared that only an…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":18413,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-18412","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\n