By Sodeinde Temdayo David
Three region-based transport association under the umbrella of the Nigerian Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO) has agreed to distribute refined products from the soon-to-be-completed Dangote Refinery in Lagos.
The group made this pledge after a tour of the Dangote Refinery plant in the Ibeju-Lekki area of Lagos recently.
The body expressed its willingness to collaborate and play a good role in the distribution of refined products from the facility when it starts operations after its completion.
The association expressed optimism that the 650,000 barrels per day Dangote Petroleum Refinery would develop the downstream sector and positively impact their businesses, as 70 per cent of the Dangote’s refined products will be transported through the sea, while 30 per cent will be by trucking.
The group further stated that there was no doubt that the project would generally accelerate the development of Nigeria’s oil and gas sector.
The president of NARTO, Mr Lawal Yusuf Othman, who led other members to the plant, commended the Chairman of Dangote Industries Limited, Mr Aliko Dangote, for his huge investment in petroleum refining and making the country one of the potential top refiners of petroleum in the world.
He described the businessman as a trailblazer in the nation’s industrial development, whose contributions to the economic development of the nation have helped in reducing unemployment and alleviating poverty.
Mr Othman further expressed his satisfaction over the quality of construction materials being used for the refinery and the plan to construct the road from the refinery down to around Ijebu-Ode, stating that the road construction is going to decongest the roads and make distribution easier.
He also explained that members of NARTO have been assured that their businesses were going to be protected when the refinery comes on stream under the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA).
To encourage more players in the downstream sector, the NARTO president emphasized the need for government to deregulate the downstream oil and gas sector fast.
He hammered that when there is full deregulation, the government would not have to force anybody to invest in the sector as it will automatically attract foreign and local investments.
