The Dangote Petroleum Refinery & Petrochemicals (DPDP) has revealed that its ongoing Initial Public Offering (IPO) has attracted exceptional participation from investors across Africa and around the world, with subscriptions received from more than 90 countries, including investors from 51 of Africa’s 54 nations.

The unprecedented level of participation positions the transaction as Africa’s first truly pan-African public offering, reflecting strong investor confidence in African-led industrialization and a growing desire among Africans to own strategic assets built on the continent.

The company noted that the IPO has already set new benchmarks in the capital markets, breaking the Nigerian market record on its opening day and surpassing the previous African record within its first ten days, driven by robust demand from retail investors, pension funds, institutional investors, asset managers, and members of the investing public.

On the milestone, Chief Financial Officer of Dangote Group, Murat Erden, said: “This offering represents far more than a capital-raising exercise. It is a landmark opportunity for Africans and global investors alike to participate in the ownership of one of the continent’s most transformative industrial assets. The extraordinary participation from individuals and institutions across Africa demonstrates a shared conviction that Africans should not only benefit from industrial development but also own and create wealth from it.”

The remarkable investor interest comes against the backdrop of the refinery’s strong operational and financial performance. For the nine months ended September 30, 2026, the DPRP reported revenue of US22.5billion and net profit of US4.7 billion, representing one of the strongest financial performances recorded by an African industrial enterprise in recent years.

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The results marked a significant turnaround from the corresponding period in 2025, when the company recorded a loss of US117.2 million. Revenue grew by 144 percent from US9.2 billion, while EBITDA increased nearly nine-fold to US5.5 billion from US627.6 million. Operating cash flow rose more than ten-fold to US$3.68 billion, underscoring the refinery’s growing ability to generate substantial earnings and cash flow from its operations.

The company also strengthened its balance sheet considerably, moving from a net debt position of US1.73 billion as of September 2025 to a net cash position of US651 million by September 2026, reflecting improved liquidity and financial resilience.

According to Erden, the refinery’s current performance significantly exceeds the assumptions underpinning the IPO valuation. “Our financial performance has already advanced well beyond the baseline assumptions used in determining the IPO valuation. The refinery’s operational momentum, scale and efficiency continue to create substantial shareholder value and reinforce our confidence in its long-term growth prospects.”

In a major boost to African capital-market integration, the transaction has also benefited from pioneering cross-border market collaborations involving Botswana, Egypt, Ethiopia and Kenya, helping to broaden access and reduce barriers to participation for investors across the continent.

The DPDP described the IPO as a powerful demonstration of the increasing sophistication, depth and interconnectedness of African financial markets, providing a blueprint for future continent-wide investment offerings.

The company reiterated that the IPO provides a unique opportunity for investors to become shareholders in one of Africa’s largest and fastest-growing industrial enterprises, with the potential for USD-linked dividends, subject to the company’s dividend policy and applicable regulatory approvals.

With the offer scheduled to close on 27 October 2026, the company has intensified investor education and engagement activities across key markets to ensure broader inclusion and participation. The refinery emphasized that no further extension of the offer period is currently planned.

On the significance of the transaction, Erden added: “We are witnessing the emergence of a new chapter in African industrial ownership and capital-market development. The overwhelming response from investors across 51 African countries and more than 90 countries globally is a resounding vote of confidence in Africa’s future and in the ability of world-class African enterprises to deliver sustainable value for shareholders.”

The company expressed appreciation to regulators, stockbrokers, issuing houses, financial institutions, fintech partners, community leaders, investor associations and the investing public for their support and participation throughout the offer period.

Tesla has set a 2028 commercial production date for its new Roadster sports car that can briefly rise into the air using rocket technology.

According to CNN, the date was revealed when the manufacturers demonstrated its functionality on Thursday at a SpaceX testing facility in Texas, United States, where the two-seater vehicle performed a series of manoeuvres, including driving upside down before making a short airborne movement.

The prototype was operated without a driver during the test, with Musk saying the decision was taken “to make sure we don’t kill anyone.”

“Success is not guaranteed. I mean that. It’ll probably work, but if it doesn’t work, we’re at a safe distance,” he said.

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CNN reported that the vehicle uses 10 nozzles and high-pressure air tanks to generate thrust, with Musk claiming it could accelerate from zero to 60 miles per hour in less than a second.

The Tesla boss attributed the development to cooperation between the electric vehicle manufacturer and SpaceX, the rocket company he also leads.

He described the project as “the results of what happens when you have a collaboration with the world’s best car company and the world’s best rocket company.”

Musk also sought to assure spectators that the demonstration was genuine, saying, “We need an audience to prove that it’s not AI or SI. So you guys can tell people you saw it with your eyes, because what you see with your eyes, you will not believe.”

Despite the display, questions remain about whether the vehicle can achieve sustained flight and how practical it would be for everyday transportation.

Roger Conner, curator for vertical flight at the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum, told CNN that combining the requirements of road vehicles and aircraft presented significant engineering challenges.

“Aircraft are extremely sensitive to weight, whereas with ground vehicles you want them to have bumpers and crumple zones and all that,” he said.

“Inevitably, something that is a hybrid between the two is going to be a poor performing aircraft and a poor performing vehicle, and also quite expensive,” he added.

Conner questioned whether the demonstration amounted to flying in the conventional sense.

“We’re not talking about sustained flight. We are literally talking about hopping,” he said.

However, Jim Dukhovny, chief executive of flying car startup Alef, said the technology was achievable, while pointing to the difficulties involved in making such vehicles transition safely from vertical take-off to forward flight.

“It absolutely is 100% feasible,” he told CNN.

“That being said, the hardest part on all eVTOLs, and for us, it’s a transition from (rising) vertical to (moving) forward. It needs to be extremely careful, making sure you do not lose lift, and making sure it’s very stable,” he added.

CNN also reported that Alef’s prototype weighs about 254 pounds, uses eight propellers and is designed to carry one person.

Musk said Tesla intended to begin production of the new Roadster in 2028.

CNN reported that the latest display adds to Musk’s ambitions to push Tesla’s vehicle technology beyond conventional electric cars, although the prototype’s ability to operate as a practical flying vehicle has yet to be established.

The Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Owners Association of Nigeria (PETROAN) has urged the Federal Government to add its member-stations to the petrol discount programme.

It cautioned that the current arrangement could limit the reach and deny vast consumers in underserved communities the benefits of the 30-day discount window.

The PETROAN also urged the FG to allocate at least 30 percent of the discounted petrol volume to outlets operated by its members.

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The calls followed last week’s announcement by the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Taiwo Oyedele, of a petrol discount at Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd) retail outlets, with priority given to public transport operators nationwide.

According to the National Publicity Secretary, Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), Chinedu Ukadike, the exclusion of independent marketers could undermine the programme’s effectiveness, particularly in communities where NNPC retail outlets have limited presence.

He argued that independent marketers, with their extensive nationwide distribution networks, were better positioned to extend the benefits of the intervention to consumers in remote and underserved areas.

“Independent oil marketers have over 90 percent coverage and presence in the nooks and crannies of this country. You are giving NNPC that is situated only in the town. So how do the poor masses, whom you intend to ensure that this petroleum product will alleviate their sufferings, how would they now get it?” Ukadike asked.

He said the association was not opposed to the government’s policy but insisted that independent marketers should be included to ensure wider access to the discounted product.

“But it’s government policies; we are not against government policies, but let it be all-inclusive; let independent marketers be part of it,” he said.

Ukadike also urged the government to extend the discount period to 60 days, citing logistical challenges that could delay the movement of petrol from coastal depots to other parts of the country.

“And the 30 days should be extended to 60 days. Because of the circulation of petroleum products, most times it takes two weeks for a truck to leave Apapa and get to Gombe, Maiduguri, because of the bad road and all the rest of them and loading process,” he added.

Similarly, PETROAN National President, Billy Gillis-Harry, urged the Federal Government to allocate 30 per cent of the discounted petrol volume to the association’s retail outlets to facilitate broader national distribution.