KEY POINTS
- Dangote says the Port Harcourt Refinery suffered more than 100 sabotage incidents during rehabilitation, based on disclosures from former NNPC chief Mele Kyari
- He alleges deliberate destruction of pipelines and depots nationwide, blaming organised interests within the oil and gas sector
- Dangote says his refinery has lost about $82 million to theft and sabotage, prompting heavy security deployment and higher operational risks
Dangote has alleged that Nigeria’s troubled refining and pipeline infrastructure has been deliberately sabotaged over the years, citing claims that the Port Harcourt Refinery was attacked more than 100 times during its most recent rehabilitation.
Speaking at a media briefing on Sunday at the Dangote Refinery in Lagos, the billionaire industrialist said the disclosures were made to him by the former Group Chief Executive Officer of Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, Mele Kyari, during discussions on the challenges facing the downstream oil sector.
Dangote said the sabotage went far beyond isolated incidents, arguing that coordinated actions by vested interests had crippled refineries, pipelines and depots across the country, undermining Nigeria’s energy security and reform efforts.
According to Dangote, damage to critical oil and gas infrastructure cannot be explained by wear and tear or environmental factors alone. He said facilities that once functioned efficiently had been deliberately destroyed, leaving pipelines idle and depots unusable.
He recalled that depots across northern Nigeria were originally connected entirely by pipelines, eliminating the need for trucks to transport products. Those systems, he said, have since been vandalised beyond repair.
“If all the pipelines built from the military era to today are no longer working, is that an earthquake?” Dangote asked. “It is sabotage, pure and simple.”
He added that similar actions had affected his own refinery, describing what he called organised attempts to disrupt operations and inflict financial losses.
Dangote compares oil sector actors to organised crime
Dangote said the scale of interference in the oil and gas industry exceeded that seen in other illicit trades, claiming that some machinery at his refinery had been tampered with while in operation.
He cited an incident involving a large industrial boiler, where critical spare parts were allegedly removed, and said repeated acts of sabotage had brought some equipment suppliers close to legal action.
“The drug mafia is actually smaller than the mafia in oil and gas,” he said, arguing that the sector had drawn in powerful networks capable of frustrating reforms and investments.
Dangote disclosed that his refinery had lost about $82 million to theft and sabotage, forcing the company to adopt extreme security measures. He said more than 2,000 security personnel had been deployed at the site, exceeding the number of staff directly involved in operations.
He added that repeated incidents had pushed up insurance risks and costs, as attackers appeared intent on triggering large claims that would further strain the business.
The Port Harcourt Refining Company, Nigeria’s largest, has faced persistent setbacks despite a $1.5 billion rehabilitation programme. NNPC signed an engineering, procurement and construction contract with Tecnimont SpA in April 2021 to overhaul the facility.
After resuming operations in December 2024, the refinery shut down again in May 2025 for planned maintenance and sustainability assessments. The extended outage has raised fresh questions about the effectiveness of the rehabilitation and the long-term viability of the asset, particularly as new NNPC management reviews its performance amid prolonged inactivity and financial losses.
