By Ahmed Aliyu, Abuja
The Chairman of the Kano-Jigawa branch of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), Muhammad Bello Isyaku Umar, has described the Dangote Refinery as a major catalyst for greater inclusiveness in the Nigerian economy.
His comment came as Dangote Refinery is set to make presentation of its Initial Public Offering (IPO) to stakeholders in Kano Thursday at 10:00 a.m.
The presentation will take place at the Meena Event Centre, Kano, and will provide participants with insights into the refinery’s IPO, investment opportunities.
Speaking to newsmen, Mr. Umar commended the Dangote Group for its sustained support for manufacturers and the industrial sector over the years.
He said the Dangote Group is one of the major sponsors of the 54th Joint Annual General Meeting and Fifth Made in Kano-Jigawa Products Exhibitions, slated for September 22nd and 24th, 2026.
The chairman said the refinery’s emergence has created opportunities for businesses across different sectors and strengthened the prospects of a more productive domestic economy.
According to him, the refinery represents an important step in Nigeria’s drive to reduce dependence on imported petroleum products, conserve foreign exchange and create a more predictable operating environment for manufacturers and other businesses.
He said the impact of the refinery extends beyond the oil and gas industry, stressing that its operations have significant implications for manufacturers, transporters, farmers, distributors, small and medium-sized enterprises and consumers.
The chairman said the increased domestic refining capacity can help strengthen local supply chains, improve access to petroleum products and reduce some of the uncertainties associated with dependence on imported refined products.
He added that a stronger domestic energy base would ultimately support industrial production, investment and job creation across the country.
The MAN chairman also welcomed the Initial Public Offering (IPO) of Dangote Refinery, describing it as an opportunity to broaden Nigerians’ participation in one of the country’s most strategic industrial investments.
He said listing the refinery on the Nigerian capital market could allow institutional investors, businesses and individual Nigerians to participate in its growth and benefit from the value created by the company.
“An IPO of this magnitude has the potential to make the refinery not only a national industrial asset, but also an investment opportunity in which Nigerians from different backgrounds can participate,” he said.
Mr. Umar noted that the benefits of the IPO would extend beyond shareholders, arguing that the listing would deepen the Nigerian capital market, attract additional domestic and international investment and strengthen confidence in large-scale industrial projects.
He said the refinery would also stimulate greater investment in ancillary industries, including logistics, transportation, engineering, maintenance, storage, distribution and other services required across the petroleum value chain. This, he said, would create a multiplier effect capable of benefiting businesses of different sizes and supporting broader economic activity.
He further commended the Dangote Group for its sustained contribution to Nigeria’s manufacturing sector and urged stronger collaboration between government, industry associations and major private-sector investors to ensure that the opportunities created by large industrial projects are maximised.
According to him, the refinery, alongside Dangote’s investments in cement, fertiliser, food processing and other sectors, demonstrates how private-sector investment can contribute to economic diversification, local production, employment generation and government revenue through taxation. He stressed that policies that encourage such investments should be strengthened while ensuring that businesses, particularly manufacturers, operate within a stable and competitive policy environment.
The MAN chairman said the long-term significance of the Dangote Refinery should therefore be measured not only by the volume of petroleum products it produces, but also by its capacity to integrate more Nigerians and Nigerian businesses into the formal economy.
He expressed optimism that the refinery’s expansion, the proposed IPO and continued investment by the Dangote Group would help deepen industrialisation, strengthen Nigeria’s energy security, create new opportunities for businesses and contribute to sustainable economic growth.
“What Nigeria needs is an economy in which investment creates opportunities across the board, and the Dangote Refinery has the potential to be one of the strongest drivers of that inclusiveness,” Umar Tofa said.
He added: “We sincerely appreciate Dangote Group for this gesture. It demonstrates a strong commitment to Nigerian manufacturing and to the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria.
“For MAN Kano/Jigawa, it is particularly significant because it strengthens collaboration among indigenous manufacturers, government and major industrial investors. It also sends a powerful message to our over 1,000 members across Kano and Jigawa that Nigerian businesses can support one another in building a stronger industrial economy.”
