Dangote refinery to employ 8,000 engineers, create jobs for 85,000 Nigerians

The President of the Dangote Group,
Aliko Dangote, said about 8,000 engineers
would be needed for the smooth take off of
the nine- billion- dollar Dangote Refinery/
Fertiliser plant in Ondo.
Dangote told State House correspondents on
Wednesday in Abuja that the project, when
completed, would provide direct and
indirect jobs for 85,000 Nigerians.
He said the group had secured a 3.3 billion-
dollar credit facility from a consortium of
banks for the project.
According to him, importation of petroleum
products will end by 2016 as the plant will
commence production in the next three
years.
He said his plan was to make the country
self-reliant in petrochemical and petroleum
products, as well as make it an industrial
giant.
“Now, Nigeria is going to be taken out of
the list of countries that import petroleum
products. We will produce 20 million metric
tonnes which is equivalent to what Nigeria
consumes currently.
“Today, we did the signing ceremony, the
vice-president came to witness the signing
but we insisted on coming to thank Mr
president for his policies .
“Without good government policies, there is
no way the private sector can invest in
Nigeria, because we are not Father
Christmas at all. The policies have to be
right,’’ he said.
According to Dangote, Nigeria currently
spends about 30 billion dollars annually on
importation of petroleum products.
He said the complex planned by his group
would make Nigeria a net exporter of
petroleum products, including diesel and
aviation fuel, as well as poly-propylene and
fertiliser. (NAN)