Dangote: Trump Impressed by Our Refinery’s Performance

Nigerian billionaire Aliko Dangote, President of the Dangote Group, has said that Donald Trump is “more than happy” with the operations of the Dangote Refinery.

Dangote rejected claims of US opposition, explaining that rather than being a rival, the United States is a major supplier of crude oil to the refinery and a key beneficiary due to the scale of trade involved.

Speaking on Sunday at a press briefing at the Dangote Petroleum Refinery in Lekki, Lagos State, he said the refinery still relies on crude oil imports from Ghana and other countries because domestic production is insufficient.

“Nigeria is not producing enough crude to meet our needs, so we buy from Ghana, a few other African countries, and also from the U.S.,” Dangote explained. He stressed that the United States is a significant supplier of crude oil to Nigeria and dismissed claims that former President Trump is dissatisfied with the refinery or its funding arrangements.

“The U.S. has been one of our major crude suppliers. So when people say Trump is unhappy with our refinery, it’s not true. He is more than happy because of the scale of business involved,” Dangote said.

He added that Nigeria imports at least 100 million barrels of crude oil from the U.S. annually, a figure that could rise to around 200 million barrels if supply is doubled. Dangote also noted that Nigeria exports aviation fuel and gasoline to the U.S., highlighting the mutually beneficial nature of the trade relationship.