There are reports that the commencement of operations in the Dangote refinery has once again been postponed from December 2023 to mid-January 2024.
If one were to count with fingertips the number of times that the Great Dangote Refinery start date has been postponed, that person would certainly have run out of fingers by now. The entire project is fast becoming a mirage propped up in front of Nigerians to perpetually “Renew their Hope”, a pipe dream whose utility lies not with its fulfilment but in the nostalgia it evokes. A private company equivalent of the highly esteemed Ajaokuta Steel.
The non-functional refinery has received three shipments of crude so far with a fourth allegedly on its way has once again had its production date postponed. This was after giving the refinery a festive look by lightening it up with something similar to what Nigerians call “Christmas lights”.
There is a new commencement of operations date to look forward to, hopefully, it will not be postponed again. The big question however is why is the refinery receiving shipments of crude when it is not ready for production?