The Prime Minister of Grenada, Dickon Mitchell has said that the 650,000 barrels per day Lagos-based Dangote Refinery will save Africa from being a dumping ground for import.
Mitchell disclosed this on Thursday when he visited Dangote Refinery’s plant in Lagos.
He noted that with investment like Dangote Refinery, Africa and developing countries can reverse the cycle of exporting raw materials while importing finished products from developed countries.
This comes as he sought the refinery’s partnership in the export of Cement, fertilizer production and Petroleum products.
Mitchell, who is the chairman of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM or CC), stressed that the investment is a tribute to the President of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote and his vision not just for Nigeria but Africa as a whole.
“This investment is a tribute to Dangote and his remarkable vision. It is the first of its kind in Nigeria and Africa, symbolizing what the developing world needs: significant investment in industrialization and manufacturing.
“This is an incredible achievement and a testament to Mr. Dangote’s vision, not just for his company, but for Nigeria and Africa as a whole.
“Dangote exemplifies what an African leader should be. We need not just political leaders, but business leaders who are willing to invest in Africa, particularly in manufacturing and industrialization.
“We must ensure that we don’t continue to export our raw materials to the developed world, where they can be turned into sophisticated products and sent back to us.
“We need to reverse that cycle; it is the only way to grow the wealth of Africa and the developing world. Additionally, we need to support this with training and invest in job opportunities,” he said.
The PM added that the Caribbean Community would be exploring partnership opportunities with the Dangote Group to enhance its economy.
“One of the reasons I am here is to pursue synergies and partnerships between the diaspora and Africa, particularly in areas such as the refinery, cement, and fertilizer.
“We believe there are fantastic opportunities to develop partnerships between the Caribbean and Africa,” he stated.
On his part, Dangote described the visit as symbolic, noting that “many Caribbean countries are beginning to discover crude oil and are exploring opportunities to build their refineries.
“This would help them address the challenge of exporting crude while importing refined petroleum products at high costs.”
“The visit shows that many countries are proud of what we have been able to achieve because a lot of countries have been unable to deliver their refineries.
“It shows their pride in seeing a Black person like them in the Caribbean, although I am from Nigeria, succeed.
“For them, this is a dream, especially as many Caribbean countries are beginning to discover oil but still depend largely on exporting crude while importing petroleum products, which is costlier than in America. Their dream is to set up a refinery, perhaps not of this size- but one that would cater to their people,” he said.
Dangote Refinery will save Africa from being a dumping ground – Grenada PM, Mitchell
