Nigerians call for more vigilance to prevent sabotage
The fire incident at a section of the Dangote Refinery has raised concerns of imminent delay in Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) production from the facility.
The incident occurred days after the refinery’s management accused International Oil Companies (IOCs) of sabotaging its operations.
Affected by yesterday’s fire was the Effluent Treatment Plant (ETP) section of the $20 billion Dangote Refinery and Petrochemicals in Lagos.
Stakeholders fear that the inferno will affect the refinery’s production schedule and its ability to meet Nigeria’s domestic fuel demands.
As the largest in Africa, the refinery is crucial in the nation’s efforts to achieve energy self-sufficiency and reduce dependence on imported petroleum products.
A few weeks ago, the refinery postponed the production date of PMS from June to mid-July.
According to the President of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, the change in the production date was due to a slight delay. He assured that PMS would be available by the third week of July.
While some Nigerians remained hopeful of seeing the product in July as announced by Dangote, the majority have expressed concerns on social media platform X (formerly Twitter) over potential delays in the production date due to the fire.
The Guardian gathered that emergency services responded promptly to contain the blaze, as no casualties were reported.
Group Chief, Branding and Communications Officer, Dangote Industries Limited, Anthony Chiejina, confirmed to The Guardian that it was a minor incident, which had been contained.
“There is no cause for alarm, as the refinery is operating and there is no recorded injury or body harm to any of our staff on duty,” he said.
Daniel Regha, a controversial social media personality using his X handle, questioned the timing of the fire following recent complaints by the management about sabotage in its operations, suggesting it might not be mere coincidence.
“It is disturbing how this refinery is yet to function efficiently or yield any positive results, but already has a lot of issues, only in Nigeria,” he said.
A concerned Nigerian, Olatunde Ajayi, told The Guardian that given the refinery’s importance to the nation’s fuel supply, any disruption is a cause for concern.
“I am sure many Nigerians will agree with me that as citizens of this country, we are understandably worried about the implication for PMS availability and potential price fluctuations,” he said.
Energy Economist, Kelvin Emmanuel, expressed doubt that the fire at the ETP, designed to treat solid and liquid waste to prevent harm to surrounding water bodies, would cause substantial damage to the refinery’s operations.
He, however, urged the management to ensure more vigilance from their internal and external security team to avoid sabotage.
“The government should designate the refinery as critical national infrastructure with relevant intelligence and enforcement deployment,” he told The Guardian, yesterday.
General Snow, via his X handle, said: “So, production date will now be postponed; all these are scripts.”
Another citizen, Oyetunde Ibrahim, called for increased vigilance from the refinery’s security to safeguard the facility, noting that the possibility of sabotage could not be ruled out.
“Refineries are critical to our nation’s energy security and economic stability. Increased security protocol is important to prevent any act of sabotage that could disrupt operations and supply chains,” he said.
