The Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu has commended Africa’s leading e-commerce platform, Jumia Nigeria, for its giant strides and in the growth of the e-commerce sector, and unique contributions to economic development.

In his view, Jumia has earned its place as a major brand, with its growth and trajectory in the country’s e-commerce ecosystem over the years which has made it a household name.

He urged the company to not only strive to maintain its excellent service standards, but to also work towards improving them.

Sanwo-Olu barred his mind during a courtesy visit by the management of Jumia Nigeria to the State House in Marina on Thursday.

He reaffirmed the strategic importance of the company in the economic development of Lagos State and Nigeria, especially in job creation. He restated his administration’s commitment in ensuring that Lagos State remains environmentally friendly for businesses to grow.

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“Our administration has always prioritized creating an enabling environment for businesses to thrive. Through various initiatives, we have strengthened the ease of doing business, and fostered innovation to drive economic growth, and we will continue to support businesses and create opportunities that will aid in their growth”, Sanwo-Olu said.

Gov Sanwo-Olu said that the Lagos State Government remains open to collaborations with the private sector to enhance service delivery, infrastructure development, and create opportunities for residents, with the aim of building a resilient and sustainable future. He said the administration recognises the importance of working with the private sector to achieve its goals of improving the lives of its citizens.

Similarly, the Chief Executive Officer of Jumia Nigeria, Sunil Natraj, thanked the governor for creating an enabling environment in the state for businesses like Jumia to grow.

He stated Jumia’s commitment to contributing towards the growth and development of the state, and the country.

Natraj said the company has made tremendous strides from its early days as a tech start-up in Lagos and has grown to become the number one e-commerce platform in Nigeria, with a presence in nine African countries.

He said the company presently employs hundreds of Nigerians directly, and thousands more indirectly as independent sales agents and partners.

Sunil restated Jumia Nigeria’s commitment to providing excellent service, focusing on delivering exceptional value and fostering long-term relationships with its customers around the country. Among other things, he said the company is actively working to enhance customer experience, aiming to simplify the e-commerce process, making it easier for customers to navigate and shop online.

According to him, Jumia aims to transform everyday life in Africa by making it easier for consumers to access goods and services conveniently and affordably, adding that the company is focused on expanding access to retail across the country.

The unbroken run of the Port Harcourt Refining Company (PHRC) has been commended by a relevant stakeholder.

The Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Owners Association of Nigeria (PETROAN) gave kudos to the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd) and others for the continuous operations of the refinery since October 2024.

Biztellers reports that the PHRC, which was dormant for over 20 years, was revamped with a loan provided by the Afreximbank. Revamping the PHRC was carried out by Tecnimont Nigeria Limited, a subsidiary of the Maire Tecnimont Group.

The PETROAN through a statement by its Publicity Secretary, Joseph Obele, has come out to praise Tecnimont Nigeria Limited “for their professionalism and expertise in delivering a world-class rehabilitation project.”

The host communities were also commended by the PETROAN, which noted their cooperation and support during the rehabilitation process.

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In the statement, the PETROAN noted thus, “The refinery, which was commissioned in October 2024, has been running continuously for 180 days, up to March, a remarkable feat that underscores the effectiveness of the rehabilitation project.”

Consequently, the “PETROAN is pleased to note that its members are currently loading diesel and kerosene from the refinery, while NNPCL retail marketers are loading PMS. This development has not only ensured a steady supply of petroleum products but has also helped to eliminate the circulation of fake kerosene and diesel in the market.”

The PETROAN also lauded the managing director of the Port Harcourt Refining Company, Ibrahim Onoja, for his dedication to ensuring the successful rehabilitation and operation of the refinery.

Higher authorities, including “President Bola Tinubu, for making funds available for the rehabilitation of the refinery; the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, for his supervision and guidance throughout the rehabilitation process; the Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPCL, Mele Kyari, for his leadership and commitment to the project; and the Managing Director of NNPC Retail Ltd, Hubb Stockman, for the effective marketing of all the products from the refinery,” were also commended by the PETROAN.

Industry regulator, the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) was also lauded by the PETROAN for its regulatory oversight and support in ensuring the safe and efficient operation of the refinery.

Evidence of the growing influence of the Dangote Petroleum Refinery & Petrochemicals has manifested far beyond Africa and the Middle East, with the United States having imported over two million barrels of jet fuel from the Nigerian based refinery in March.

According to experts, this development should bring immense joy to Nigerians, as it attests to the unparalleled quality of the refinery’s products and the trust that the international community places in the world’s largest single-train refinery.

Going by data from ship-tracking service Kpler, six vessels carrying around 1.7 million barrels of jet fuel from the Dangote Petroleum Refinery arrived at US ports this month.

It was gathered that another vessel, the Hafnia Andromeda, is set to arrive at the Everglades terminal on 29th March with approximately 348,000 barrels of jet fuel.

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The shipments from the Dangote Refinery, with a capacity of 650,000 barrels per day (bpd) — Africa’s largest — highlight its potential to reshape global fuel trading dynamics, establishing a new swing supplier in the Atlantic Basin.

Biztellers reports that this shipment to the United States follows three cargoes of jet fuel, totalling around 130 million litres, exported from Nigeria to Saudi Arabia by the Dangote Petroleum Refinery.

The refinery has already demonstrated its ability to compete with European refiners on gasoline (PMS) exports, and these jet fuel shipments to the United States could challenge the economics of domestic producers in the world’s largest fuel-consuming nation.

According to Chief Operating Officer of TankTiger, Steven Barsamian, “the surge in demand, partly driven by the influx of supply from Nigeria, is expected to lower jet fuel prices in the US ahead of the peak summer travel season. US jet fuel imports from Dangote Refinery are expected to decrease aviation fuel prices during this period, according to trade analysts and storage brokers. US jet fuel imports in March have averaged around 226,000 bpd, the highest since February 2023, underlining the global demand for products from Dangote Refinery.”

The Dangote Refinery, which commenced production in January 2024, has already exported its products to almost every continent. While the surge in US imports was partly triggered by a maintenance-related shutdown at the Phillips 66 Bayway refinery in New Jersey, analysts believe the choice of Dangote’s products highlights its growing presence in international markets, having successfully competed with European refiners in gasoline exports.

Economist and Chief Executive Officer of the Centre for the Promotion of Private Enterprises (CPPE), Dr Muda Yusuf, stated that the export of jet fuel to the United States by Dangote Refinery is a point of pride for Nigeria, highlighting the quality, standard, and the trust that the international community places in the refinery.

“Nothing could be more prideful for us as a country than the fact that we now have a refinery producing products that can be exported to the United States. It speaks to the quality, standards, and trust that international communities have in Dangote Refinery, because these are markets that don’t compromise on quality. They have stringent standards, and if they deem it worthy to import from Nigeria, it is a source of great pride,” he said.

On his part, the former Director-General of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) also emphasised that Dangote Refinery is enhancing Nigeria’s position on the global stage and should be supported by both citizens and the government.

“That is why all of us—citizens and the government — should do everything to support the refinery, as it is breaking many barriers and boosting our country’s reputation. The lesson here is that we should support the Dangote Refinery and other refineries with similar capacities, as they can provide us with significant leverage,” he added.

Similarly, Public Policy Expert, Dr Abimbola Oyarinu, stated that the Nigerian economy would be in a better state today if the country had functional refineries in the past, rather than just exporting crude oil while importing refined petroleum products.

“This is something that should have been addressed since 2014. Things wouldn’t have reached this point—such as high inflation and unemployment—if we had a functioning refinery. However, both the government and the people failed to take action until Dangote stepped in with significant investment. The Dangote Refinery is not only reducing foreign exchange outflow, but it is also bringing in foreign exchange. It is unfortunate that despite this, some elites and those in power are still intent on sabotaging the refinery and Dangote himself,” he said.

The university lecturer also warned that the lack of ease in doing business and the frustration of local investments could discourage future investors.

“This is something the country should be proud of. We previously had a mono-economy, reliant solely on oil exports, but Dangote has helped diversify the sector by selling finished products to international markets. However, which investors would want to invest in Nigeria after seeing what Dangote is going through?” he queried.