President of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, has dismissed allegations of monopoly in Nigeria’s petroleum downstream sector as the company rolled out 1,000 Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) trucks in Lagos on Monday.

Speaking at a press conference, Africa’s richest man revealed that the company had already invested ₦2 trillion in trucks and logistics. He said 4,000 CNG trucks were ordered from China to support direct fuel distribution, stressing that the new fleet would ease transportation and stabilise fuel supply nationwide.

“We are not here to take anyone out of the market. The trucks we are deploying have already created 24,000 jobs, with salaries four times the minimum wage,” Dangote said in response to accusations from petrol marketers.

He disclosed that the company had purchased 10,000 trucks in total, including CNG and dry cargo carriers, with 10,250 expected to be in operation by the end of November. The fleet, he added, would modernise Nigeria’s transport sector.

Looking ahead, Dangote announced plans to introduce electric vehicles by January 2026 and expand the refinery’s capacity. He also projected that Nigeria would soon become the world’s largest fertiliser producer, calling it “a big celebration for Nigeria.”

“Our aim is to modernise, generate jobs every day, and make life easier for Nigerians. We are not going to be distracted by the noise of unions,” he said.

According to him, the group currently lifts 40,000 tonnes of diesel monthly and has already exported over 1.6 billion litres of fuel. The company, he stressed, will continue to “take the risks out of Nigeria” while positioning the country as a hub for energy and industrial growth.

Meanwhile, the newly acquired CNG trucks have begun loading petroleum products at the Dangote Refinery for direct supply to filling stations nationwide. The refinery had earlier announced in August that it received the first batch of its 4,000 CNG-powered trucks for the distribution programme, which was initially scheduled to commence on August 15.