Nigerian diplomat and National President of the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), Amb. Godknows Igali, has called on the Federal Government to take deliberate steps to protect strategic national investments such as the Dangote Petroleum Refinery, while also advocating for a more balanced relationship between labour unions and investors, particularly in the Niger Delta region.
In a series of remarks made during and after a recent feature on AIT’s Focus Nigeria, Amb. Igali described the Dangote Refinery as more than a private business venture, calling it a strategic national asset that holds transformative potential for Nigeria and Africa’s industrial future.
“The Dangote Refinery is not just a private enterprise; it is a strategic national asset. The magnitude of jobs it creates, the technological advancement it represents, and the pivot it offers from a raw material export economy to a value-added industrial one, are of immense national importance,” he said.
He stressed that for Nigeria to attain sustainable economic growth, particularly in the oil-rich Niger Delta, the government must prioritize crude oil supply to domestic refineries over exports.
“It is counter-intuitive and economically disadvantageous to continue exporting our crude oil while a refinery of such capacity, which can meet our domestic fuel needs and produce for the international market, is starved of its primary raw material.
“We must give concessions and ensure that Nigerian crude is made available to Nigerian refineries as a matter of national priority,” he added.
Amb. Igali further emphasized that Africa’s relevance on the global stage depends on its ability to process and add value to its natural resources within its own borders.
According to him, protecting investments like the Dangote Refinery is akin to protecting Nigeria’s economic destiny.Beyond resource allocation, he also expressed concern over the impact of disruptive labour disputes on industrial growth and investor confidence, especially in the Niger Delta — a region he said is ripe for industrial transformation but plagued by instability.
While reaffirming the importance of workers’ rights to fair wages and decent conditions, Amb. Igali called for a government-mediated framework that strikes a balance between labour welfare and investor protection.
“Government has a dual responsibility: to protect the welfare of labour and to create a conducive environment for businesses to flourish. We must institute a more proactive approach, including a functional early warning system and pre-emptive mediation steps, to have better control over labour-related disruptions,” he stated.
He warned that unchecked industrial actions could scare away key investors like Dangote, BUA, Aiteo, and Seplat, whose presence is vital to regional economic stability and job creation.“Strangulating investors with unchecked labour demands leads to divestment, factory closures, and job losses — a lose-lose situation for everyone.
The government must therefore consciously provide a shield for investors, ensuring that the legitimate pursuit of workers’ rights does not inadvertently kill the goose that lays the golden egg,” he cautioned.
Amb. Igali concluded that a stable and predictable industrial environment is non-negotiable for the economic revival of both the Niger Delta and Nigeria at large.
