₦airaland Forum

The Federal Government on Monday emphasised the critical importance of the 650,000-barrel-per-day Dangote Refinery, declaring that it must be supported at all costs to succeed.


The government’s position was stated by Vice President Shettima and emphasised by Minister of Budget and National Planning Senator Bagudu at the opening of the Nigerian Economic Summit 2025 in Abuja.

The government said the $20 billion facility is a national asset that must be supported to function.

Following last week’s industrial action by oil workers under the aegis of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, PENGASSAN, Vice President Kashim Shettima declared that Nigeria is greater than PENGASSAN.

He said, “Aliko Dangote, he’s not an individual, he’s an institution, and he’s a leading light in Nigeria’s economic parliament. And how we treat this gentleman will determine how outsiders will judge us. If he had invested $10 billion in Microsoft, in Amazon, or in Google, he probably might be worth $70 to $80 billion by now.

“But he opted to invest in his country, and we owe it to future generations to jealously protect, promote, preserve, and protect the interests of this great Nigeria.

“I wish to call for caution, retrospection, and a deeper sense of patriotism from both labour and the organised private sector in defining and improving the relationship between labour and industry in the interest of maintaining our steadily improving economic fortunes.

“It’s not about holding the whole nation to ransom because of a minor labour dispute.


“Nigeria is greater than PENGASSAN. Nigeria is greater than each and every one of us. I’m not coming to you as a partisan.”

Aliko Dangote, he’s not an individual, he’s an institution, and he’s a leading light in Nigeria’s economic parliament. And how we treat this gentleman will determine how outsiders will judge us. If he had invested $10 billion in Microsoft, in Amazon, or in Google, he probably might be worth $70 to $80 billion by now.

Mrchippychappy:
At this point you might as well give him the entire country because "we owe it to him"

Nwaikpe:
They keep getting this thing wrong
You cannot bully a trade union into your bidding.

You placate them.

How come we have a government that placates jeehardeest and goes tough on trade unions?
Come on!

treesun:
By Obas Esiedesa, ABUJA


https://www.vanguardngr.com/2025/10/dangote-nigeria-greater-than-pengassan-shettima/

indigenous234:
You would read this and think the person making the statement is a sane person. They’re all in the same boat. He’s most likely supporting Dangote because he’s a Muslim or of the same ethnic stock and not because of patriotism.

frog12:
i mean the man dey bring INDIANS to replace NIGERIANS. people in govt don colo

Nwaikpe:
They keep getting this thing wrong
You cannot bully a trade union into your bidding.

You placate them.

How come we have a government that placates jeehardeest and goes tough on trade unions?
Come on!

sagitariusbaby:
which placate? Dangote is private and must remain and be treated as such. I have never seen private Universities joining ASSU for strike because they don't belong in the same category neither have I seen private hospitals jointing doctors or nurses to go on strike. PENGASEN or whatever they call themselves should sit this up. They don't own Dongote refinery and the chairman has the final say there. How successful have they been with the government's own they have been holding to ransome?

indigenous234:
You would read this and think the person making the statement is a sane person. They’re all in the same boat. He’s most likely supporting Dangote because he’s a Muslim or of the same ethnic stock and not because of patriotism.

indigenous234:
You would read this and think the person making the statement is a sane person. They’re all in the same boat. He’s most likely supporting Dangote because he’s a Muslim or of the same ethnic stock and not because of patriotism.

AndroBlaze:
Though I agree with the sentiment, Shettima does not know how to talk.

"Nigeria" which started off as a geographic expression, can never be greater than the people within it.

The people make Nigeria and not the other way round.

The project should be protected and defended because it benefits the Nigerian people at the moment, simple..... and that is all he had to say.

Mrchippychappy:
At this point you might as well give him the entire country because "we owe it to him"

Emekaonline:
That is how those unproductive labour and PENGASSAN sank our refineries and unable to work optimally till today

indigenous234:
You would read this and think the person making the statement is a sane person. They’re all in the same boat. He’s most likely supporting Dangote because he’s a Muslim or of the same ethnic stock and not because of patriotism.