AITF 2024: Visitors Participants Throng Dangote Pavilion 

Oru Leonard 

Visitors and 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.
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 Block Moulder, Mr. 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 distributor 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.

Cover Photo Caption: Dangote Pavilion at the Abuja Trade Fair