The President and Founder of the Dangote Refinery, Aliko Dangote, has revealed that the facility has suffered losses of about US$82 million as a result of theft and sustained acts of sabotage.

Speaking to the media in Lagos over the weekend, Mr Dangote said repeated interference by powerful oil mafia interests had consistently undermined the refinery’s operations and threatened its long-term viability, as well as Nigeria’s petroleum import arrangements.

He alleged that influential cabals have worked deliberately against the success of the refinery, describing the scale of sabotage in the oil and gas sector as extensive and deeply entrenched.

“We had a 400-tonne boiler, the largest ever built and in operation, and someone removed critical spare parts. If I begin to recount the level of sabotage we have faced, including actions involving machine manufacturers, you will understand the magnitude of the problem. The drug trade is actually smaller than the oil and gas sector. In drugs, most of the players know each other, but in oil and gas, you can rob many people openly,” he said.

Mr Dangote also disclosed that infrastructure designed to distribute gas had been deliberately damaged. According to him, pipelines constructed to supply gas from a military base to 22 depots had been completely destroyed.

“All the pipelines we built, from the military base to the 22 depots, fully installed and operational, have been vandalised. The sediments are gone; the pipes have been destroyed,” he added.

He noted that these acts of sabotage had disrupted operations and contributed significantly to the financial losses recorded by the refinery.

In response to the challenges, the Dangote Group announced in September 2025 that it had restructured its operations as part of efforts to strengthen security around the refinery and improve overall efficiency.