Ojulari applauds scale, innovation and built-in redundancies, says Nigerians should value the bold vision behind Africa’s largest refinery…..
The Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, Bayo Ojulari, has described the Dangote Refinery as a “world-class facility,” commending its scale, technological depth and operational design after an extensive tour of the complex on Saturday.
Ojulari made the remarks shortly after inspecting critical sections of the refinery, including its master control room, during a visit hosted by Africa’s richest man and President of the Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote.
Addressing journalists at the end of the inspection, the NNPC chief said the sheer magnitude of the project becomes more apparent when seen up close, noting that the refinery reflects not just industrial capacity but strategic ambition.
According to him, Nigerians should recognise the leadership and courage required to execute a project of such unprecedented scale.
“Nigerians, we should be grateful for the leadership and the inspiration of Alhaji Aliko Dangote and the Dangote Group for what my colleague described as the audacity to embark on such a huge project,” Ojulari said.
He explained that being physically present at the facility changed his perspective, particularly regarding its engineering sophistication and integrated systems.
“There’s nothing like being here physically to actually see things for yourself. What we are seeing here is what I call the frontline of world-class technology,” he added.
Ojulari, who has an engineering background, also addressed concerns that had previously been raised about the refinery’s single-train configuration, a design some industry observers questioned in terms of reliability.
However, after reviewing the plant’s architecture and embedded redundancies, he said those concerns had been effectively dispelled.
“Coming here and seeing the architecture of the plant and the redundancy that has been given… you see that despite being a single train, it has an incredibly high availability,” he stated.
He further disclosed that the refinery is powered by advanced digital infrastructure, artificial intelligence-driven monitoring systems and state-of-the-art mechanical processes. These, he noted, align the facility with global best practices and position it for strong operational performance.
The visit comes amid heightened public interest in the refinery’s role in reshaping Nigeria’s downstream petroleum sector, reducing fuel import dependence and strengthening local refining capacity.
With the NNPC boss publicly endorsing its design and performance, the Dangote Refinery continues to draw attention as one of the most ambitious industrial projects ever undertaken on the continent.
