By Tochukwu Bliss, Abuja
The Minister of State Petroleum Resources (Oil), Heineken Lokpobiri, yesterday, intervened in the mud-sliding dispute between the management of the Dangote Refinery and industry regulators, and NNPC Limited.
A statement by Special Adviser to the Minister on Media and Communications, Nneamaka Okafor, said the intervention came through a high-level meeting convened by the Minister with key stakeholders in the oil and sector to resolve issues surrounding
The Meeting had in attendance the Commission Chief Executive (CCE), Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), Gbenga Komolafe; Authority Chief Executive (ACE), Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Farouk Ahmed; Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO), NNPC Ltd, Mele Kyari; and the Chairman/CEO, Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote.
The closed-door meeting was with a view to finding a lasting solution to the current impasse affecting the Dangote Refinery operations, with all parties demonstrating commitment to collaborative and proactive problem-solving.
Mr. Lokpobiri was said to have emphasised the need for cooperation and synergy among all the stakeholders to ensure the success and optimal performance of the oil and gas sector, which is pivotal for Nigeria’s economic growth and energy security.
There is a need for cooperation and synergy among all the stakeholders to ensure the success and optimal performance of the oil and gas sector.
The stakeholders in return expressed their gratitude to the minister for his exemplary leadership and timely intervention in facilitating the dialogue.
The meeting also marked a significant step towards resolving the challenges and underscores the Minister’s resolve to foster a conducive environment for Nigeria’s oil and gas industry.
Recall that in the last couple of weeks, there have been accusations and counteraccusations regarding the operation of the 650,000-barrels-daily-capacity, $20 billion, Dangote Refinery.
While the Dangote Group had accused the industry regulators, NNPC and its multinational joint venture partners of frustrating operations of the refinery by starving it of crude oil supply, the industry operator, notably, NMDPRA, had fired back declaring the refinery of producing sub-standard product and not yet licenced for operations.