Aliko Dangote, Africa’s richest man, asserted that his $20 billion refinery in the Lekki Free Trade Zone was built without any incentives from the Federal Government of Nigeria or Lagos State.
Speaking on Saturday during a visit from the House of Representatives leadership, Dangote emphasized, “We did not collect one single incentive from the Federal Government of Nigeria or even Lagos State. Yes, Lagos State gave us a good deal, but we paid $100 million for the land. It wasn’t free land; we paid for it.”
Dangote urged the House to investigate the quality of diesel and petrol at filling stations across Nigeria, refuting claims that petroleum products from his refinery are substandard. He suggested setting up a committee to test products at various filling stations and called for an evaluation of the laboratories used to test imported products against the one at his refinery.
Addressing allegations of monopoly, Dangote stated, “If you look at all our operations at Dangote (Group), we add value; we take local raw materials and turn them into products, and we sell. We have never consciously or unconsciously stopped anybody from doing the same business that we are doing.” He further noted, “Monopoly is when you stop people, you block them through legal means. No, it is a level playing field whereby whatever Dangote was given in cement, for example, other people were given because some of them even got more than us.”
The meeting with the House leaders, including Speaker Tajudeen Abbas and his deputy Benjamin Kalu, highlighted Dangote’s commitment to maintaining high standards and ensuring fair competition in the industry.
