DANGOTE Refinery and Petrochemical on Monday in Lagos announced the award of $368 million to 120 local contractors at the site as part of its contribution to Nigeria content development initiative as it gears up to be Nigeria largest oil supplier.

During an official tour of the facility with the members of Nigeria Institute of Public Relation (NIRP) and pressmen at the facility, Devakumar Edwin, the Group Executive Director, Strategy, Portfolio Development and Capital Projects, Dangote Industries Limited, revealed that there are several Nigerian content opportunities in the company’s refinery and petrochemical project.

Edwin disclosed that the company has imported world’s largest Reactor Regenerator and well as a Crude Column, which is equivalent to 30-storied building weighing about 100 fully loaded trucks. He said that the Dangote Petroleum Refinery can meet 100 per cent of the Nigerian requirement of all liquid products, such as Gasoline, Diesel, and Kerosene and Aviation Jet and also would have surplus of each of these products for export.

He added that the company also possess strategically located marine infrastructure for crude receipts and product trade when the refinery is fully completed. He noted that the 650,000 barrels per day refinery has been designed to process a variety of light and medium grades of crude and produce extremely clean fuels that meet Euro V specification.

The refinery would ensure that the security of local supply of petroleum products is guaranteed as well as the availability of petrochemical feedstock (Poly-propylene & Polyethylene), he said.

“Current consumption of Urea in Nigeria is 700,000 tonnes. There is very poor per hectare usage of fertilizer leading to very poor crop yield. By 2020, the Nigerian population, which is around 207 million, would lead to increased food consumption.

“Estimates point out that around five million tonnes of fertilizers are required per year in Nigeria in next five to seven years bifurcated into 3.5 Million tonnes of Urea.

“Dangote Fertilizer Project is the largest Granulated Urea Fertilizer complex coming up in the entire fertilizer industry history in the World, with an investment of $2.0 Billion capacity of 3 Million tonnes per annum.

“The Dangote Fertilizer complex consists of Ammonia and Urea plants with associated facilities and infrastructure, to produce 3 MMTPA Urea,” he said

Edwin said that the Dangote Company have trained and employed 250 artisans, but have intention to train 900 Nigerian engineers in India, in partnership with the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) and the National Directorate of Employment (NDE), kicked-off of training for 200 youths in its host communities, as part of its corporate social responsibility initiatives. Currently, boast of 3580 Nigerian personnel excluding contractors and subcontractors at the site.

With a fast-growing population and poor infrastructure, he said the refinery would also reposition Nigeria as an attractive investment destination and a major industrial hub in Africa.