Dangote Group gets surveyors' nod on Lekki refinery

The Nigerian Institution of Estate Surveyors and Valuers (NIESV) has commended the foresight behind the conception of Dangote's world largest single refinery train, describing it as real change that will alter Nigeria's economic landscape for good.

Chairman of the Lagos branch of the Institution, Mr Offing Samuel Ukpong, expressed surprise at the magnitude of the project after leading his members on tour of the Dangote Fertilizer and Refinery sites at Lekki Free Trade Zone, Ibeju Lekki, Lagos at the weekend.

He said the economic benefits of the projects to Nigerians and Nigeria would be such that Nigeria would transit from a developing country to a developed one on account of the forex that  would be generated and saved for the nation as opposed to the current trend of importation gulping the nation's scarce foreign exchange.

He stated that anyone would easily down play the size of the project until they  visit the site, pointing out that what his members saw was unconceivable that an African and a Nigerian was behind such a gigantic project.

Said he: 'It is the consensus among our members that Dangote Group has done exceptionally well in the conceptualisation and the development of the largest petrochemical industrial complex in the world and located in Nigeria.

'Our conclusion is that Alhaji Dangote is a patriotic visioner; imagine a project that will give Nigerians 60, 000 jobs at a go? Some other persons would rather go outside the country to squander such money. We are solidly behind him and we pray he completes it speedily.

'It is in this vein that we consider it necessary to further project the refinery development and the real estate investment opportunities around it; and as the foremost real estate professionals in the country, we need to have first hand knowledge of the development, hence our coming. We are grateful for this opportunity.'

Earlier, Mr Rama Rao, the Dangote Refinery Project Director, received the team and took them through the uniqueness of the Dangote Refinery, saying it would on completion refine 650,000 barrels of crude per day. He described it as the single largest train in the world.