Dangote oil refinery has been listed among the top 20 influential projects surveyed in the last 18 months by the Project Management Institute.

Dangote Industries Limited said in a statement on Thursday that the refinery was recognised for the potential to fuel Nigeria’s economic transformation from an importer to a self-sustaining powerhouse in petroleum refining.

According to the statement, the PMI said the 2020 Most Influential Projects list highlights compelling projects around the world and across industries that achieved significant milestones and impacted society.

It said the list identified the noteworthy projects that had defined the past year – a year that has been dramatically transformed by the coronavirus pandemic.

PMI’s Vice President of Global Engagement, Otema Yirenkyi, was quoted as saying, “When it’s completed in 2021, the Dangote oil refinery in Nigeria will be the largest oil refinery in Africa and one of the largest in the world, processing 650,000 barrels of crude oil per day and creating nearly 35,000 jobs in and around Lagos.

“But its benefits run deeper than that. By creating a self-sustaining supply of high-quality refined petroleum products, the project will reduce the country’s reliance on imports, help stabilise its currency and aid in the fight against poverty.”

The President and Chief Executive Officer, PMI, Sunil Prashara, said the most influential projects reflected how project managers and change managers had found ingenious ways to keep initiatives moving forward in the face of unexpected obstacles associated with the pandemic.