“Dangote Is Not An Individual, He’s An Institution” – Shettima Criticizes PENGASSAN

Vice President Kashim Shettima has appealed to Nigerians to protect and support the multibillion-dollar investments of Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, saying the future of the nation’s economy depends on safeguarding such ventures.

His comments come after oil workers under the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) went on strike last week over the dismissal of Nigerian employees at the Dangote Refinery.

Speaking at the opening of the 2025 Nigerian Economic Summit in Abuja on Monday, Shettima described Dangote as more than just an entrepreneur, calling him “an institution” and “a key pillar of Nigeria’s economic progress.”

He highlighted the $20 billion Dangote Refinery, which has a 650,000-barrel-per-day capacity, as a vital national asset that plays a major role in strengthening Nigeria’s economy and international reputation.

Shettima said the billionaire deserved recognition for choosing to invest heavily in Nigeria when he could have made far greater personal profits by investing abroad.

He urged both labour unions and the private sector to handle disputes with a sense of patriotism and responsibility, stressing that the country’s economic stability should not be jeopardized over “a minor labour disagreement.”

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.”

Kashim Shettima clarified that his remarks were not politically motivated but came from a “patriot in search of solutions to our national challenges”.

He called on the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG) to prioritize discussions around the refinery and provide practical recommendations to ensure industrial harmony.

“The government will expect priority recommendations from the NESG in addressing this issue even as the government is also taking steps to protect big industry and ensuring industrial harmony for the good of the nation. This is a refinery, Your Excellencies, Your Royal Highnesses, Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen,” Shettima said.

He also reminded the audience that the Dangote Refinery was financed through a mix of equity investments and loans from local and international banks, stressing the importance of keeping the facility operational to sustain debt repayment and national growth.

“We cannot hold the whole nation to ransom for some issues that we can amicably settle across the table,” he said, emphasising that his position reflected the views of President Bola Tinubu and the Nigerian people.

The Vice President’s remarks followed concerns raised by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited over revenue losses caused by the temporary strike, which disrupted production and gas sales.

KanyiDaily recalls that NNPC’s Group Chief Executive Officer, Bayo Ojulari, also recently linked the high rise in cooking gas prices to the PENGASSAN strike, which had slowed loading and distribution across the country.