Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, has put to rest speculations of a rift with the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC), stating emphatically that the Dangote Refinery is not in competition with the state-owned energy giant.
During a high-profile visit to NNPC’s new Group CEO, Bayo Ojulari, in Abuja on Thursday, Dangote emphasized collaboration over competition.
“There is no competition between us; we are not here to compete with NNPC Ltd,” he stated. “This is an era of cooperation between the two organizations.”
The visit, confirmed by NNPC spokesperson Olufemi Soneye on Friday, signals a strategic shift towards synergy in Nigeria’s energy sector, following months of tension over crude supply pricing and control.
While Dangote has previously alleged sabotage from entrenched interests in the industry specifically major marketers he clarified that the current NNPC leadership is not part of that resistance.
Instead, he extended an olive branch, pledging support to the new management in achieving national energy security.
Ojulari welcomed the gesture, describing Dangote’s visit as a step toward a “mutually beneficial partnership anchored on healthy competition and productive collaboration.”
He praised NNPC’s workforce as “dedicated, highly skilled, and value-driven.”
Both executives committed to serving as relationship managers between their respective entities, promising to deepen cooperation that prioritizes Nigeria’s economic growth and energy independence.
Meanwhile, with two of Nigeria’s most powerful energy players now aligned, the future of national energy strategy could be entering a new, cooperative era.
