Mkpoikana Udoma
Port Harcourt — The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board, NCDMB, has intensified pressure on the Dangote Petroleum Refinery to broaden Nigerian participation as the facility moves ahead with plans to expand beyond its current 650,000 barrels-per-day capacity.
This formed the centre of discussions at the 4th Quarter 2025 Dangote/NCDMB Joint Technical Committee, JTC, meeting held recently in Lagos.
Chairman of the JTC, Mr. Silas Ajimijaye, said the next phase of the refinery’s growth must translate into deeper in-country value.
“We must begin to proactively map out every opportunity where Nigerians can take the lead,” he declared. “Our goal is to push innovation, strengthen local capacity, and ensure full compliance with the NOGICD Act.”
A major highlight of the meeting was Dangote Refinery’s proposal to establish an in-country Research and Development, R&D, cluster to enhance technical capabilities and reduce dependence on foreign expertise. The refinery’s team said the initiative would serve both operational needs and Nigeria’s broader energy research ecosystem.
NCDMB described the proposal as a welcome step toward long-term industrial growth.
“This R&D cluster is essential. It will deepen knowledge transfer and support Nigeria’s technological advancement in refining,” Ajimijaye noted while responding on behalf of the Executive Secretary.
The JTC also reaffirmed commitments to expanding Nigerian content across engineering, procurement, construction, operations, maintenance, and new opportunities such as fabrication, spare-parts manufacturing, technical services, and indigenous innovation.
Ajimijaye assured that NCDMB will intensify oversight in 2026 to ensure the refinery’s expansion drives real value for the local economy. “We are committed to ensuring the Dangote Refinery becomes not just Africa’s largest, but also Africa’s most Nigerian-driven,” he said.
The Committee will ramp up stakeholder engagement and technical reviews next year to further embed Nigerian participation in all phases of the refinery’s current and future projects.
