Vice President Kashim Shettima has emphasized the strategic importance of the 650,000-barrel-per-day Dangote Refinery to Nigeria’s economic development, asserting that the facility must be supported “at all costs” to ensure its success.
Speaking on Monday at the 31st Nigerian Economic Summit (NES) organized by the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG) in Abuja, Shettima condemned the recent standoff between the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) and the refinery’s management, describing it as an overreaction to “a minor labour dispute.”
PENGASSAN had launched a nationwide strike on September 28 to protest the dismissal of some Nigerian workers at the refinery. The strike was later suspended after the Dangote Group agreed to reinstate the affected employees.
Faulting the union’s approach, Shettima said Aliko Dangote, president of the Dangote Group, represents more than a private enterprise — calling him “an institution and a leading light in Nigeria’s economic parliament.”
“How we treat this gentleman will determine how outsiders will judge us,” the vice president said. “If he had invested $10 billion in companies like Microsoft, Amazon, or Google, he might be worth $70–$80 billion today. But he chose to invest in Nigeria, and we owe it to future generations to protect and promote that patriotic decision.”
Shettima urged both labour unions and the private sector to exercise restraint and patriotism in resolving industrial disputes, stressing that national interests must always come first.
“It’s not about holding the whole nation to ransom over a minor labour issue,” he said. “Nigeria is greater than PENGASSAN and greater than each and every one of us.”
He further clarified that his position was not politically motivated but driven by a genuine desire to safeguard Nigeria’s economic stability. The vice president also tasked the NESG with offering actionable recommendations to strengthen industrial harmony and protect major investments like the Dangote Refinery.
Shettima highlighted that the refinery was financed through a combination of equity, debt, and local and foreign loans, emphasizing that it must remain operational to meet financial obligations.
“We cannot afford to cripple a project of such magnitude over issues that can be resolved amicably,” he stated.
He concluded by noting that his comments reflect the position of President Bola Tinubu and the collective will of Nigerians.
Earlier, Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Group CEO, Bayo Ojulari, linked recent increases in the price of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) to production disruptions caused by PENGASSAN’s strike, which led to deferred production and missed liftings.
Source:Africa Publicity
