Aliko Dangote, Africa’s richest man, is moving ahead with plans to build a major seaport near his fertilizer and oil refineries. This is a move aimed at easing exports and facilitating the continued expansion of his vast industrial empire.
In a recent interview in Lagos, Dangote confirmed that his group submitted documents in late June to begin construction of what he described as “Nigeria’s largest and deepest port.”
The proposed Atlantic port would be located in Olokola, Ogun state, about 100 kilometers from a large fertilizer and petrochemical facility in Lagos, Bloomberg reports.
Currently, Dangote exports fertilizer and urea through a special jetty built near the refinery site, which also receives the heavy machinery needed for the operation.
The new port will help consolidate logistics and export activities across the group. This could rival major facilities in Lagos, such as the Chinese-backed Lekki deep-sea port, which opened in 2023.
“We don’t want to do everything ourselves, but we believe this type of investment will encourage other entrepreneurs to participate,” Dangote said.
Apart from exporting fertilizer, Dangote also plans to transport liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Lagos. According to Dangote Group Vice President Devakumar Edwin, the project will require the construction of a pipeline from the Niger Delta.
“We want to implement large-scale projects that will bring in more gas than what NLNG is currently doing,” Aliko Dangote said, referring to Nigeria LNG Limited, a joint venture between the Nigerian government, Shell, Eni Spa and Total Energy SE, and one of the country’s leading exporters of liquefied natural gas. “We know where there is a lot of gas, so we will run a pipeline all the way to the coast.”
Pipeline planned to tap Niger Delta’s gas potential
Dangote is already tapping into Nigeria’s gas-rich Niger Delta to power a large fertilizer plant, where natural gas is used as a feedstock to produce hydrogen for ammonia, a key ingredient in fertilizer production.
Guided by bold thinking and long-term planning, the billionaire businessman believes Africa could be transformed into a “heaven” within just five years.
Earlier this year, the billionaire businessman said his conglomerate was on track to generate $30 billion in total revenue by next year, even as global companies have expressed concerns about the potential impact of trade tariffs under US President Donald Trump.
He added that the group also aims to surpass Qatar as the world’s largest urea exporter within the next four years.
