Africa’s richest man and President of Dangote Refinery, Aliko Dangote, has maintained that a ‘cabal’ within Nigeria’s oil and gas sector continues to oppose the success of his 650,000-barrel-per-day refinery. According to global news outlet Semafor, Dangote made this revelation during an investor forum held in Lagos over the weekend. He said, “For a very, very long time, those that have made a lot of money from government-subsidised oil imports into Nigeria were the ones trying to sabotage the $20 billion worth of refinery situated in Lekki, Lagos.” He further stressed that “those groups have funded resistance to the Bola Tinubu government’s removal of petrol subsidies and are opposed to the refinery operating easily in the country.” However, Dangote was confident that the battle between him and the groups would be won, priding himself on being a long-time fighter. “We’re fighting, and the fight is not yet finished. But I have been fighting all my life, and I am ready and 100 percent sure I will win at the end of the day,” he was quoted. Dangote Refinery began selling petrol in September 2024, resulting in a notable decline in fuel imports into Nigeria. Earlier, in May 2023, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu announced the removal of the fuel subsidy during his inauguration speech.