President of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, has clarified that the Dangote Refinery is not in competition with the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd).
According to a statement from NNPC spokesperson Olufemi Soneye on Friday, Dangote made this known during a courtesy visit to NNPC’s new Group Chief Executive Officer, Bayo Ojulari, in Abuja. The visit aimed to strengthen collaboration and encourage healthy competition between the two energy giants.
Addressing past tensions over crude oil supply and pricing in naira, Dangote reaffirmed his commitment to working with NNPC, dismissing any notion of rivalry.
“There is no competition between us. NNPC is part of our business, and we are part of NNPC. This is an era of cooperation,” he said.
This comes after Dangote recently accused some major oil marketers—excluding the current NNPC leadership—of trying to undermine the $20 billion refinery project.
During the meeting, both sides pledged to deepen their partnership to enhance Nigeria’s energy security and economic growth.
Congratulating Ojulari on his appointment, Dangote acknowledged the significant responsibility of leading NNPC, but expressed confidence in the company’s leadership and workforce.
Ojulari, in return, promised a partnership built on mutual respect, innovation, and shared goals. He praised NNPC’s staff as dedicated and highly capable, committed to delivering national value.
Both leaders agreed to personally oversee the relationship between their companies, fostering collaboration and healthy competition for the benefit of Nigeria.