Mafia Fought Me, Tried To Stop $19 Billion Refinery– Dangote

Africa’s richest person, Aliko Dangote has disclosed that local and foreign mafia tried to stop him from establishing his $19 billion refinery.

Dangote stated that certain individuals did everything they could to sabotage the project.

The billionaire said he was aware that there would be some resistance, but never anticipated that it would be so harsh.

He spoke on Wednesday at the Afreximbank annual meetings (AAN) and AfriCaribbean Trade and Investment Forum in Nassau, The Bahamas.

The business mogul also stated that he has repaid about $2.4 billion of the $5.5 billion borrowed to build the refinery.

Dangote, who tagged himself a fighter throughout his life, said the mafias had tried several times to defeat him.

He said, “Well, I knew that there would be a fight. But I didn’t know that the mafia in oil, they are stronger than the mafia in drugs. I can tell you that. Yes, it’s a fact. The local and foreign mafia tried several times to sabotage the refinery from coming to fruition.

“But I’m a person that has been fighting all my life. You know, so I think it’s part of my life to fight.”

On if he was receiving enough crude oil as feedstock for his refinery from the international oil companies (IOCs), Dangote said: “In a system where for 35 years people are used to counting good money, and all of a sudden they see that the days of counting that money have come to an end, you don’t expect them to pray for you. Of course, you expect them to fight back.

“And I think that is the process that we’re now really going through. But the truth is that, yes, the country, the sub-region, and also the continent, sub-Saharan Africa, need this refinery. So, you expect them to fight through non-supply of crude, non-purchase of the product, but I think it’s all temporary. We’ll get there.”