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Hundeyin Leaks America’s, Europe’s Masterplan Against Dangote Refinery, African Economy
The unending efforts of neo-colonists to tie Nigeria and Africa down with the chains of poverty and underdevelopment have come to the fore over the challenges being encountered by the Dangote Petrochemical and Petroleum Refinery.
One of Nigeria’s foremost investigative journalists, David Hundeyin, on Saturday revealed via a strong narrative on his page on micro-blogging site, X, that paid American and European interests were working to stifle the 650,000bpd refinery situated in Nigeria.
Hundeyin revealed how “an international NGO called Dialogue Earth (formerly known as China Dialogue Trust)” has being throwing huge sums at journalists to push the narrative that the “Dangote Refinery is terrible for the environment”.
He maintained that the objective was to give a dog a bad name in order to hang it. That is, give the Nigerian government sufficient evidence to ‘kill the Dangote Refinery’.
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In an apparent wake up call to the Nigerian government and the entire African continent, Hundeyin pointed out that India had taken drastic action against their underground agent, by blacklisting him.
He stated, “Basically, this London-based NGO is headed by Sam Geall, an Oxford professor and is funded by several American intelligence fronts such as Ford Foundation and ClimateWorks (which is blacklisted in India for funding organisations working against India’s national interest).”
He wondered why “Africa’s largest oil producer having no functioning oil refinery to beneficiate its own oil was not a problem for Dialogue Earth and the American CIA fronts who fund it.”
Hundeyin wrote, “I debated long and hard whether to do this publicly, but I think a message needs to be sent to a group of external interests working in tandem with the internal interests described in the quoted tweet to counteract the interests of half a billion West Africans. A message that at whatever level we exist, we take our destiny seriously and we are not to be trifled with.
“Last week, I received an N800,000 offer from an international NGO called Dialogue Earth (formerly known as China Dialogue Trust) to write an article essentially saying that Dangote Refinery is terrible for the environment because something, something. “Environmental Concerns,” something, something “Climate Change,” something, something “Energy Transition Policy,” something, something “COP 28.”
“The (unstated but clearly implied) thrust of the brief was for a prominent local voice to put their name on an article that is an argument or a premise for the Nigerian government to kill the refinery based on its “energy transition commitments” and “environmental policy.” This conclusion wasn’t immediately apparent when they reached out to me, but I suspected where it was heading, and I quickly accepted the offer so that I could see the brief and obtain hard evidence. I’ve attached screenshots from the brief below.
“Basically, this London-based NGO is headed by Sam Geall, an Oxford professor and is funded by several American intelligence fronts such as Ford Foundation and ClimateWorks (which is blacklisted in India for funding organisations working against India’s national interest). For whatever reason, it is now quietly mobilising a resistance campaign against what it describes as “Nigeria’s first refinery.” Apparently, the status quo of Africa’s largest oil producer having no functioning oil refinery to beneficiate its own oil was not a problem for Dialogue Earth and the American CIA fronts who fund it.
“The human poverty caused by exporting this raw material and importing refined fuel was not bad for the environment. Also, the fact of European refiners regularly blending West African fuel cargoes with toxic waste and sulphur content 200 times the European legal limit (leading to asthma, bronchitis and eye infections in West Africa) was also not bad for the environment. But Nigeria having a refinery that will wean West Africa off import dependency on those European refiners (and allow West Africa control the sulphur content of its own fuels) is where Dialogue Earth and its funders draw the line. That one is bad for the environment, and David Hundeyin should write an article calling for the refinery to be shut down or limited.
“I’m putting this out there publicly so that nobody will henceforth use the term “conspiracy theory” when it is pointed out for the umpteenth time, that there are American and European state and private interests that are heavily invested in keeping Africa exactly as poor as it is, and that they regularly push levers most of us do not even know exist, to make sure that this status quo is protected. These people believe that Africans should not exist or have nice things in this world. Apparently, the sole purpose of our existence is to enhance their experience of the planet and all that it has to offer.
“It is because of them that I have to make a public spectacle out of this, even though I know that doing this is probably going to cost someone their job. The message needs to be passed that as poor as we are, you cannot convince us to campaign for the elongation of our own poverty by commissioning $500 hack jobs in the hope that we will be greedy enough to only see the money and ignore the bigger picture of what we can clearly see you trying to do.
“I will reiterate something I have said multiple times – I am not a believer in the religious faith called Climate Change/Saving The Environment. I care exactly as much about the environment as do the rich white men who destroyed it to begin with. I firmly believe that if what it takes for Africa to industrialise is for it to burn so much fossil fuel that snow stops falling in Wisconsin and it starts raining concentrated sulphuric acid in Doncaster, it is not too big a price for Europe and North America to pay – it is certainly not bigger than the price Africa had to pay for Europe and North America to develop.
“It is and will continue to be 100% OUR prerogative to determine what to do with our hydrocarbons. It is not the rich white men hiding behind these “Climate Advocacy NGOs” who will tell us what to do with our energy reserves, and by what means we are allowed to escape the poverty that they engineered for us.
“I might not be a fan of Aliko Dangote or his monopolistic business practices – as is well known – but I’m also smart enough to know when rich white men in DC, Houston, Rotterdam and London and trying to use me as a marionette in their 400 year-old coloniser games. If you are reading this and you are one of the rich white men whose economic interests are threatened by Nigeria refining its own oil, you should come out and fight Aliko Dangote by yourself.
“Or at least go find a much stupider African to do your dirty job – there’s plenty of those.
“It will never be me.”
A swift response by the Kwara State Fire Service helped avert a major disaster after a fire outbreak destroyed a laundry shop attached to an eight-room residential building in the Tanke area of Ilorin, Kwara State.
The incident occurred at about 3:58 a.m. on Tuesday at Assu-Luxury Quarters, off University Road. Although the laundry shop was gutted by the blaze, all residents of the building escaped unhurt, while firefighters successfully prevented the fire from spreading to the residential apartments and nearby properties.
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The Public Relations Officer of the Kwara State Fire Service, Hassan Adekunle, confirmed the incident in a statement, explaining that the affected property comprised eight residential rooms and a laundry shop, with only the laundry section sustaining damage.
According to him, firefighters responded promptly to the emergency, bringing the fire under control by about 4:25 a.m. before concluding the operation at approximately 4:42 a.m.
Preliminary investigations suggest that the fire may have been caused by an electrical power surge, possibly from a pressing iron left switched on for an extended period.
However, the fire service said investigations are still ongoing to determine the exact cause of the incident.
Reacting to the development, the Director of the Kwara State Fire Service, Alabi Muhammed, urged business owners, particularly laundry operators, to adopt safer electrical practices.
He advised operators to switch off electrical appliances immediately after use and never leave them unattended while powered.
Muhammed also stressed the importance of conducting routine electrical inspections, using standard electrical appliances, and installing surge protection devices to minimise the risk of fire outbreaks.
The Kwara State Fire Service reaffirmed its commitment to protecting lives and property through prompt emergency response and sustained public awareness on fire safety.
The Federal Government has approved the most comprehensive overhaul of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) since its establishment 53 years ago, introducing a civilian leadership structure, a redesigned uniform, and several reforms aimed at making the scheme more relevant to Nigeria’s economic and youth development goals.
The approval was granted during the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting held on Monday in Abuja.
A major highlight of the reforms is the replacement of the military leadership of the NYSC with a civilian operational head, while the military will continue to provide security support for corps members across the country.
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To pave the way for the implementation of the reforms, the FEC directed the Attorney-General of the Federation and the Federal Ministry of Youth Development to amend the NYSC Act and other relevant regulations to provide legal backing for the changes.
Announcing the development, the Minister of Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande, described the overhaul as the first holistic review of the NYSC in its 53-year history.
According to him, the reforms are designed to transform the scheme into a skills-driven, productivity-focused institution that aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s vision of building a $1 trillion economy.
The reforms include a technology-driven call-up process, risk-sensitive deployment to enhance the safety of corps members, and a redesigned six-week orientation programme with greater emphasis on leadership, entrepreneurship, digital skills, and specialised career pathways.
The government also approved skills-based primary assignments that match corps members’ academic qualifications and career aspirations, improved orientation camp standards through a national grading and certification system, a new graduation ceremony to replace the traditional Passing Out Parade, and a redesigned NYSC uniform aimed at promoting professionalism and national pride.
Olawande said the reform process began in 2025 following extensive consultations involving the Federal Ministry of Youth Development, the Federal Ministry of Education, and the Office of the Special Adviser to the President on Policy and Coordination before receiving final approval from the Federal Executive Council.
He described the reforms as an investment in Nigeria’s youth, expressing confidence that the changes would make the NYSC more impactful and better positioned to equip young Nigerians with practical skills for the future.
Established in 1973 after the Nigerian Civil War, the NYSC was created to promote national unity by deploying graduates to states outside their regions of origin for one year of compulsory national service.
The latest reforms represent the first comprehensive review of the scheme since its creation.
The Ogun State Government has explained the cause of the recent gas emissions that sparked panic in some schools across Ijebu-Ode, attributing the incidents to natural underground geological activity rather than spiritual causes or security threats.
The clarification was made during a stakeholders’ meeting in Ijebu-Ode Local Government Area, where the Commissioners for Environment, Ola Oresanya, and Health, Dr. Tomi Coker, met with parents, school administrators and development partners to provide updates on the government’s investigation.
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According to Oresanya, scientific investigations identified methane and sulphide gases escaping through underground fractures along established fault lines as the source of the emissions.
He explained that the affected communities are located along the Ifewara-Zungeru Trans-Atlantic fault line, which stretches from Mojoda through Ijebu-Ode and extends into Osun and Niger states.
He said findings linked the fault line to the locations where the gas emissions were recorded, including the affected schools. Oresanya noted that the area was historically forested and largely uninhabited before missionary schools were established there.
The commissioner disclosed that laboratory analyses are ongoing to determine whether the gases are thermogenic or methanogenic in origin.
He also revealed that the state government is investigating the possibility that Ijebu-Ode may sit on significant natural gas deposits beneath the affected communities.
Commissioner for Health, Dr. Tomi Coker, urged residents to remain calm and adhere to safety precautions whenever gas emissions occur.
She advised residents to cover their noses with wet handkerchiefs instead of face masks and encouraged anyone requiring urgent medical attention to contact the state’s emergency health line, 08112000033.
Also speaking, the Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Prof. Abayomi Arigbadu, assured parents that the affected schools would only reopen after consultations with relevant stakeholders and the completion of necessary safety assessments.
The Head of the Department of Earth Sciences at Olabisi Onabanjo University, Prof. Philip Ikhane, also appealed for calm, advising residents to minimise activities such as borehole drilling and quarry blasting, warning that such activities could worsen the effects of the existing fault lines.
The Ogun State Government reaffirmed its commitment to protecting lives and property, urging residents and school authorities to promptly report any future gas emissions while investigations continue.
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