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Refinery: Participants throng Dangote pavilion at Abuja trade fair
Nasiru Yusuf Ibrahim
Participants at the 2024 Abuja International Trade Fair (AITF) have been thronging the pavilion of the Dangote Group to make inquiries about the company, and its state-of-the-art oil refinery, which recently commenced the discharge of petroleum products.
KANO FOCUS reports that Dangote Group is one of the major sponsors of the 19th Trade Fair organised by the Abuja Chamber of Commerce and Industry(ACCI).
Many of the participants were seen milling around the company’s other business units, which include: Dangote Fertiliser, Dangote Sugar, NASCON(Dangote Salt), and Dangote Cement.
A participant and block Moulder, Peter Ibrahim, told newsmen: “I am here at the Dangote booth to find out what business and job opportunities are available at the Dangote Refinery. We know the company must have created several opportunities.”
Speaking in the same vein, a cement dealer, Sale Sagir, said: “Let me be honest. I came to this Trade Fair because of Dangote Group. I sell cement, but now I have come to find out what it takes to be a distributed of other products, especially the Dangote Petroleum products.”
This year’s Trade Fair has as its theme: “Mobility Options for Transportation, Trade Financing, and Taxation.”
Speaking at the company’s Special Day, Senior Adviser to the Group President on Special Projects and Strategic Relations, Fatima Wali-Abdurrahman, said the Dangote Group has contributed to growing the Nigerian economy through transportation, trade financing and taxation.
She said: “Furthermore, during the construction of the Dangote Refinery, we had to construct a jetty in Lekki Free Zone to handle our bulk cargoes (including ne of the two largest cranes in the world), that we imported during the construction stage.”
“Today, we are exporting our products to a number of African countries through the same port. We also plan to ease the pressure on the roads from the Refinery by transporting finished petroleum products to other ports by along the Nigerian coast by sea, for further distribution to the hinterland.”
She said the company is also investing in Compressed Natural Gas(CNG).
“In an effort to reduce our carbon footprint and also reduce costs, over the past decade, we have converted about a third of our fleet so far. This is an ongoing process, till we convert the entire fleet,” she said.
She added that the company is investing hugely in the agricultural subsector of the economy, assuring that the company’s products will soon hit the market.
Speaking earlier at the Special Day, President of the ACCI, Chief Emeka Obegolu, described the Dangote Group as the engine-room for Nigeria’s industrilization.
Chief Obegolu, who was represented by Aisha Ado Abdullahi, ACCI Vice President Legal, commended the company for what he said was an “unwavering commitment to Nigeria’s development.”
He added: “The taxes paid by the Group have contributed significantly to national revenue, funding infrastructure projects, and social programs that benefit millions of Nigerians.”
Dangote Cement Lifts SMEs In Nigeria
Scaling up its support for Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SMEs) in Nigeria, the Dangote Cement Plc, Obajana Plant, has handed over a 33 KV public electricity power line and transformer to Jakura Marble Industry Ltd (JMIL) in Kogi State.
Speaking at the handing over ceremony, Plant Director, Dangote Cement Plc, Obajana Plant, Engr Azad Nawabuddin, said the project involved extending high-tension power lines from Oyo community, over 5 km, to JMIL’s facility, where the power was stepped down through an installed transformer.
Mr. Nawabuddin said: “The new infrastructure will enable JMIL to access reliable public electricity, thereby reducing operational energy costs and enhancing production capacity of JMIL. It also provides opportunities for future expansion and job creation, as JMIL can now deploy additional machinery and equipment.”
He reiterated Dangote Cement’s commitment to supporting not only JMIL but Nigerians particularly within the host community for youth development and small & medium scale enterprise in Nigeria.
The Plant Director emphasized the mutual benefits of strong partnerships, expressing the company’s readiness to collaborate on initiatives that benefit both parties and contribute positively to the community.
In his response, Managing Director of JMIL, Engr. Tony Ojile, expressed gratitude to Dangote Industries Ltd (DIL) and to the Group President, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, saying the company has contributed immensely to the development of Nigeria, and Africa as a whole.
He commended the Plant Director for his commitment to Corporate Social Responsibility schemes, expressing his company’s appreciation to the timely delivery of the electrification project.
Following the handover, the management teams of Dangote Cement Plc and Jakura Marble Industry Ltd (JMIL) conducted a site visit to review the high-tension lines and exchanged official handover documents at the transformer location.
Mr. Nawabuddin also inspected JMIL’s facilities, to further understand the company’s operations.
Nasiru Yusuf Ibrahim
The Kano State Government says it has executed 1,508 development projects worth more than N928 billion across the state’s 44 local government areas since Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf assumed office, with about 80 per cent of constituency projects awarded between 2023 and 2025 already completed.
KANO FOCUS reports that the Commissioner for Public Procurement, Projects Monitoring and Evaluation, Comrade Nura Iro Ma’aji Sumaila, disclosed this during an international press briefing on the administration’s infrastructure development programme.
According to Comrade Sumaila, the projects cover critical sectors including roads, urban renewal, education, healthcare, security and other social infrastructure.
He said 799 of the projects have been completed, while 709 are at various stages of execution. He added that the state is also implementing 619 constituency projects through members of the Kano State House of Assembly.
The commissioner noted that about 80 per cent of the constituency projects have been completed. However, he said some projects remain unfinished because of rising construction costs caused by inflation.
He said the government has submitted a request to Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf for an upward review of contract sums to enable contractors complete the affected projects.
Breakdown of projects
Comrade Sumaila said the administration spent over N169 billion on urban renewal projects, including road rehabilitation, drainage construction and other metropolitan infrastructure.
He said another N118 billion was committed to constructing five-kilometre roads in 38 local government areas to improve connectivity across the state.
According to him, the government also awarded contracts worth over N6.8 billion for the construction of Kano State Neighbourhood Watch security divisions in 36 local government areas.
He added that rural infrastructure projects covering education, healthcare and other social interventions across the 44 local government areas account for contracts valued at more than N397 billion, while other ongoing projects have a combined value of about N255 billion.
Commitment to transparency
The commissioner said the Ministry of Public Procurement, Projects Monitoring and Evaluation would continue to ensure compliance with due process and technical standards in the execution of government projects.
He said the ministry’s mandate includes monitoring projects to ensure value for money and prudent utilisation of public resources.
According to him, the administration’s investments in infrastructure are intended to improve mobility, strengthen security, expand access to education and healthcare, improve water supply and stimulate economic growth across the state.
Ibrahim Khalil
The Chief Imam of Nagazi-Uvete Jumu’ah Mosque and the late Alhaji Abdur-Rahman Okene’s Mosque in Okene, Kogi State, Sheikh Murtadha Muhammad Gusau, has cautioned Muslims against allowing football and other forms of entertainment to distract them from the primary purpose of their existence, which he said is the worship of Allah.
Delivering his Friday sermon titled, FIFA World Cup Match: Allah Did Not Create Us, The Universe, For Idle Sport, Amusement, Or Play!, the cleric reminded Muslims that while Islam permits lawful recreation, it must never overshadow religious obligations or become the central focus of a believer’s life.
Quoting several verses from the Qur’an, Imam Gusau said Allah created mankind for a clear purpose and not for amusement or idle pursuits.
He cited Qur’anic passages, including Surah Al-Anbiya (21:16), Surah Al-Mu’minun (23:115), and Surah Adh-Dhariyat (51:56), to emphasise that the ultimate purpose of human existence is to worship Allah and prepare for the Hereafter.
The Islamic scholar explained that recreation is permissible in Islam when it helps refresh the mind and body for acts of worship and productive living. He referenced traditions of the Prophet Muhammad (SAW), including his encouragement of archery and his tolerance of lawful sporting activities.
However, the cleric expressed concern over what he described as the commercialisation and globalisation of football, arguing that modern international competitions have evolved beyond sport into massive economic and ideological enterprises.
According to him, major tournaments are driven by powerful commercial interests involving broadcasting rights, sponsorships and advertising, which, he said, often promote values inconsistent with Islamic teachings.
Imam Gusau warned that excessive devotion to football clubs and players could lead to misplaced priorities, personality worship and unhealthy fanaticism.
He lamented that many young people now regard footballers as their greatest role models while neglecting scholars, innovators and other individuals whose contributions are more beneficial to society.
The cleric also criticised the promotion of gambling, alcohol advertising and other practices associated with some international sporting events, urging Muslims to remain vigilant and uphold Islamic values.
While acknowledging that physical exercise and sports are beneficial, he stressed that Muslims should engage in them within the limits prescribed by Islam and without neglecting obligatory acts of worship.
He called on Muslim youths to balance recreation with their religious and social responsibilities, urging them not to allow entertainment to define their lives or distract them from their ultimate purpose.
Imam Gusau concluded the sermon with prayers for peace, righteous leadership, the protection of Muslim communities worldwide, and relief for oppressed people, particularly those in Gaza.
Nasiru Yusuf Ibrahim
Kano State has emerged as the highest-ranked sub-national government in the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) for education spending, according to the latest Sub-National Education Spending Index developed by the University of Paris.
KANO FOCUS reports that the ranking places Kano State first among 209 first-level sub-national governments across 15 ECOWAS member countries, underscoring the state’s growing reputation for prioritising investment in education.
According to the published index, Kano topped the rankings with an overall S-WAESI score of 87.21, outperforming other leading regions, including Dakar and Saint-Louis in Senegal. Lagos State was the second Nigerian state on the list, ranking 16th overall.
The assessment evaluated states and regions using the S-WAESI (Sub-National Weighted Aggregate Education Spending Index) methodology, which measures government commitment to education through indicators such as actual education expenditure, spending per student, budget execution, education priority, transparency and evidence-based reporting.
The methodology assigns 35 points to actual education spending, 25 points to spending per student, 20 points to budget execution, 10 points to education priority and 10 points to transparency.
The report indicated that Kano excelled largely due to its strong actual education spending and budget execution, making it the best-performing sub-national government in the region.
The ranking covered states, regions, districts and municipalities across Nigeria, Senegal, Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Benin, Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, Togo, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau and Cabo Verde.
Kano State Accountability Forum on Education (K-SAFE) said the recognition reflects Kano State Government’s sustained investment in expanding access to education, improving school infrastructure and strengthening educational planning and budget implementation.
KANO FOCUS reports that the achievement is expected to further boost the state’s profile as a leader in education reform within West Africa and provide additional momentum for ongoing efforts to improve learning outcomes across the state.
The latest ranking comes amid renewed attention on education financing across ECOWAS, with experts increasingly emphasising transparent budgeting, efficient resource utilisation and sustained public investment as critical drivers of quality education.
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