Exclusive: Nigerian shipowners missing as vessels lift products from Dangote Refinery

Findings by the Nigerian Tribune have revealed that indigenous ship owners were not part of the numbers of vessels that have lined up at the Dangote Refinery to load diesel and aviation fuel.

Recall that while speaking with newsmen last week, the Executive Director of the Dangote Group, Devakumar Edwin, was quoted to have said “We have substantial quantities. Products are being evacuated both by sea and road. Ships are lining up one after another to load diesel and aviation jet fuel. Ships load a minimum of 26 million litres, though we try to push for 37 million litres vessels, for ease of operations.”

When Nigerian Tribune called the Ship Owners Association of Nigeria (SOAN) and the Nigerian Ship-owners’ Association (NISA) to congratulate them on the involvement of their members in the product evacuation at the Dangote Refinery, both indigenous ship-owners group disclosed that their members were not involved in the exercise.

Speaking exclusively with the Nigerian Tribune, President of SOAN, Mr Sunny Eja, said, “My members are not involved in the product lifting currently taking place at the Dangote Refinery. We are still engaging with various stakeholders to see how we can participate.

“There is a lot involved when it comes to movement of crude oil products. Everything has to be put in place to ensure that we have all the necessary resources and capacity to lift these products when called upon.”

Also speaking with the Nigerian Tribune via WhatsApp chat, President of NISA, Mr Sola Adewunmi said no NISA members is involved in the ongoing product lifting at the Dangote Refinery.

“I am currently out of the country. To the best of my knowledge, I have not heard that any of our member’s vessel has been involved in product lifting from the Dangote Refinery,” the NISA President told Nigerian Tribune exclusively.

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