“Build at Home”: Dangote Champions Investment in Nigeria, Reveals Game-Changing Port and Energy Projects ⚡
Africa’s richest man, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, is once again calling on wealthy Nigerians and African entrepreneurs to redirect their capital inward — urging them to invest in Nigeria and be the architects of its transformation.
At the heart of this renewed appeal is a bold, future-defining move: the development of Nigeria’s biggest and deepest seaport in Olokola, Ogun State.
“No Nation Grows Without Significant Investment”
Speaking with select journalists, Dangote emphasised that real development only happens when the wealthy invest in their home countries.
“No nation develops without significant investments. I appeal to all wealthy Nigerians to look inward and invest here… for the future of our unborn kids,” he said.
He condemned the outflow of African wealth to foreign bank accounts, stressing that even corrupt countries still find ways to reinvest domestically — a key difference in economic outcomes.
Olokola Deep Seaport: A New Frontier in Infrastructure
Dangote has submitted plans to begin construction of a new deep-sea port in Olokola, Ogun State — a location roughly 100km from his existing fertilizer and petrochemical plants in Lagos.
This new Atlantic-facing port is designed to:
• Ease the export of goods (including LNG and urea),
• Integrate logistics for Dangote Group’s industrial empire,
• ️ Compete with the Chinese-funded Lekki Deep Sea Port,
• ⚙️ Revive previously abandoned plans for the Olokola corridor under a now supportive administration.
He explained that this move is not about monopolising infrastructure, but rather encouraging more entrepreneurs to step into large-scale industrial development.
“If I Knew What I Was Getting Into…” — Dangote on His $20 Billion Refinery Gamble
Reflecting on his now-completed $20 billion refinery, Dangote admitted that had he fully understood the scale of challenges, he might not have started.
Yet, the vision remained:
• ️ Make Nigeria self-sufficient in petroleum refining,
• Drive energy independence across Africa,
• ⚠️ End Africa’s overreliance on imported, often substandard fuel.
“People think building a refinery is like building a house… But we kept pushing to ensure delivery.”
Today, the refinery is operational and expected to inspire other African countries to invest in refining and value-add industries rather than exporting raw materials.
Gas, Pipelines, and Global Ambitions
Further revealing his blueprint for Africa’s energy future, Dangote is planning:
• A liquefied natural gas (LNG) export operation that will rival Nigeria LNG Ltd.,
• ️ Pipeline infrastructure from the Niger Delta to bring more gas to the Atlantic coast,
• Gas-powered fertilizer production already ongoing at his Lagos plant,
• Fuel distribution to Nigerian retailers via 4,000 gas-powered trucks starting August — despite criticisms of market dominance, which he denies.
His group aims to deliver more gas to market than NLNG is currently producing.
Africa’s Road to Economic Freedom
Dangote insists that true independence in Africa goes beyond politics — it requires economic self-sufficiency, financial inclusion, and value creation. He warns that continued import dependency will only trap African nations in cycles of poverty.
With over 125 billion barrels of proven oil reserves on the continent, he believes that only bold, transformative projects like his can solve Africa’s structural problems — particularly youth unemployment and low industrial capacity.
️ Final Word
The Olokola Deep Sea Port, the massive refinery, and the gas infrastructure blueprint are not just projects — they’re Dangote’s legacy moves, pushing Africa to think big, build big, and believe in itself.
As he puts it:
“It’s not that we want to do everything by ourselves, but doing this will encourage others to come into it.”
Africa’s richest man, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, is once again calling on wealthy Nigerians and African entrepreneurs to redirect their capital inward — urging them to invest in Nigeria and be the architects of its transformation.
At the heart of this renewed appeal is a bold, future-defining move: the development of Nigeria’s biggest and deepest seaport in Olokola, Ogun State.
“No Nation Grows Without Significant Investment”
Speaking with select journalists, Dangote emphasised that real development only happens when the wealthy invest in their home countries.
“No nation develops without significant investments. I appeal to all wealthy Nigerians to look inward and invest here… for the future of our unborn kids,” he said.
He condemned the outflow of African wealth to foreign bank accounts, stressing that even corrupt countries still find ways to reinvest domestically — a key difference in economic outcomes.
Olokola Deep Seaport: A New Frontier in Infrastructure
Dangote has submitted plans to begin construction of a new deep-sea port in Olokola, Ogun State — a location roughly 100km from his existing fertilizer and petrochemical plants in Lagos.
This new Atlantic-facing port is designed to:
• Ease the export of goods (including LNG and urea),
• Integrate logistics for Dangote Group’s industrial empire,
• ️ Compete with the Chinese-funded Lekki Deep Sea Port,
• ⚙️ Revive previously abandoned plans for the Olokola corridor under a now supportive administration.
He explained that this move is not about monopolising infrastructure, but rather encouraging more entrepreneurs to step into large-scale industrial development.
“If I Knew What I Was Getting Into…” — Dangote on His $20 Billion Refinery Gamble
Reflecting on his now-completed $20 billion refinery, Dangote admitted that had he fully understood the scale of challenges, he might not have started.
Yet, the vision remained:
• ️ Make Nigeria self-sufficient in petroleum refining,
• Drive energy independence across Africa,
• ⚠️ End Africa’s overreliance on imported, often substandard fuel.
“People think building a refinery is like building a house… But we kept pushing to ensure delivery.”
Today, the refinery is operational and expected to inspire other African countries to invest in refining and value-add industries rather than exporting raw materials.
Gas, Pipelines, and Global Ambitions
Further revealing his blueprint for Africa’s energy future, Dangote is planning:
• A liquefied natural gas (LNG) export operation that will rival Nigeria LNG Ltd.,
• ️ Pipeline infrastructure from the Niger Delta to bring more gas to the Atlantic coast,
• Gas-powered fertilizer production already ongoing at his Lagos plant,
• Fuel distribution to Nigerian retailers via 4,000 gas-powered trucks starting August — despite criticisms of market dominance, which he denies.
His group aims to deliver more gas to market than NLNG is currently producing.
Africa’s Road to Economic Freedom
Dangote insists that true independence in Africa goes beyond politics — it requires economic self-sufficiency, financial inclusion, and value creation. He warns that continued import dependency will only trap African nations in cycles of poverty.
With over 125 billion barrels of proven oil reserves on the continent, he believes that only bold, transformative projects like his can solve Africa’s structural problems — particularly youth unemployment and low industrial capacity.
️ Final Word
The Olokola Deep Sea Port, the massive refinery, and the gas infrastructure blueprint are not just projects — they’re Dangote’s legacy moves, pushing Africa to think big, build big, and believe in itself.
As he puts it:
“It’s not that we want to do everything by ourselves, but doing this will encourage others to come into it.”