Experts: Dangote Refinery has turned Nigeria into maritime goldmine

Maritime experts say the Dangote Refinery could redefine Nigeria’s maritime landscape, unlocking massive job opportunities, strengthening local content and positioning the country as a key hub for coastal and international shipping, provided authorities prioritise marine transportation and the use of Nigerian-owned vessels.

National President of the Nigeria Association of Master Mariners (NAMM), Captain Tajudeen Alao, said the refinery is already emerging as a powerful engine of wealth creation, stressing that its strategic location on the open sea gives Nigeria a natural advantage in exports and maritime trade.

“The refinery’s deep-water access allows foreign vessels to berth easily and lift products directly for international markets,” Alao said, adding that the facility is equally well positioned to support coastal shipping and shuttle services to ports such as Port Harcourt, Warri, Calabar and Lagos.

According to him, such services would create employment across the maritime value chain, including vessel ownership, crewing, port operations and auxiliary services. He urged policymakers to deliberately prioritise evacuation of refined petroleum products by sea rather than relying almost entirely on road transport.

“Nigeria already has a network of tank farms across the coast. Products can be shipped by sea, discharged into these depots and then distributed inland by trucks. Marine transportation is safer, more efficient and more cost-effective,” he said.

Alao described the over 600 vessel calls recorded at the refinery in its first year of operation as a “huge opportunity” for Nigerians to participate meaningfully in maritime business. He called on banks and financial institutions to provide job-focused funding to indigenous operators to enable them to acquire and deploy vessels.

He noted that mandatory procedures such as tanker vetting, ship inspection reports and compliance checks also open doors for Nigerian mariners, surveyors and inspectors, while strengthening certification, professional development and sustainable employment.

To underline the efficiency of marine transport, Alao explained that “a 5,000-tonne tanker can carry the equivalent of about 150 trucks, each moving roughly 30 tonnes, and can be loaded within 12 to 18 hours,” compared to the congestion, delays and infrastructure damage caused by heavy truck movements in port cities.

He also highlighted opportunities in maritime legal and professional services, saying Nigerian lawyers and service providers must be fully involved while ensuring processes meet international standards.

On vessel ownership and crewing, the NAMM president said existing laws already favour Nigerians. “Current regulations require full Nigerian crewing and majority Nigerian officers on locally owned vessels, while cabotage rules reinforce Nigerian participation in domestic cargo transport,” he said.

According to him, deploying Nigerian-owned and operated vessels would retain taxable income within the country and stop revenue losses associated with foreign ships lifting Nigerian cargo. He stressed that stricter enforcement of existing maritime laws would allow Nigeria to fully benefit from its maritime domain.

Echoing similar views, master mariner and maritime expert, Capt. (Dr) Michael Ifesemen, said the Dangote Refinery has opened up “vast opportunities” for maritime jobs, port operations and local shipping participation, driven by increased vessel traffic and marine activities.

“The more ships that call at the refinery, the greater the demand for skilled manpower across the sector,” Ifesemen said, noting that the surge in vessel traffic has already expanded opportunities in port operations and related services.

While acknowledging that the influx of foreign vessels may challenge some indigenous operators whose ships do not meet international standards, he said it also presents an opportunity for Nigerian shipowners to upgrade their fleets and align with global requirements.

Beyond international shipping, Ifesemen said the refinery would boost West African coastal trade, increase Nigerian participation in regional commerce and reduce dependence on foreign vessels. “This will strengthen the Cabotage regime and deepen local content in domestic shipping,” he added.

He also stressed that evacuating Dangote products by sea would significantly reduce pressure on Nigeria’s roads and cut government spending on repairs caused by heavy-duty trucks.

According to him, coastal transshipment along the West African corridor would require barges, many of which are built locally, thereby creating jobs for Nigerian barge builders and operators.

On immediate and long-term gains, Ifesemen said the refinery’s early operations have already generated revenue for port facilities and created jobs that would be sustained over time. He added that although international vessels currently dominate operations, Nigerian participation is expected to rise as regional distribution expands.

He further noted that the refinery’s impact would go beyond its terminals, attracting other forms of trade, boosting exports and imports, and increasing activity at ports that previously recorded low traffic.

Commenting on crude oil supply, Ifesemen said it would be more beneficial for Nigeria to feed the refinery with locally produced crude, expressing optimism that existing bottlenecks would be resolved over time. “Exporting refined products generates more revenue than exporting crude,” he said, stressing that Nigeria must refine locally while exporting excess crude and refined products to remain competitive in the global oil market.