Africa’s wealthiest individual, Aliko Dangote, has submitted applications to construct what he calls Nigeria’s “biggest, deepest port” near his fertiliser and oil refinery facilities, marking a significant expansion of his industrial empire.
The billionaire filed paperwork in late June for the proposed Atlantic seaport in Olokola, Ogun state, located approximately 100 kilometres from his existing fertiliser plant and petrochemicals refinery in Lagos. The new port is designed to streamline export operations for goods, including liquefied natural gas, positioning Dangote Group to compete directly with facilities in Lagos, Nigeria’s commercial capital.
“It’s not that we want to do everything by ourselves, but I think doing this will encourage other entrepreneurs to come into it,” Dangote said in a recent interview in Lagos.
The seaport represents Dangote’s return to the same Olokola site where he previously abandoned plans to build his refinery and fertiliser complex due to disputes with local authorities. Those tensions have reportedly been resolved under Nigeria’s current administration.
Currently, Dangote exports urea and fertiliser through an on-site jetty at his existing facilities, which also receives heavy equipment for his refinery operations. The new port will integrate the conglomerate’s logistics and export operations, creating competition for Lagos-based facilities, including the Chinese-funded Lekki Deep Sea Port that opened in 2023.
Beyond the port development, Dangote Group has ambitious plans to expand into liquefied natural gas exports from Lagos. Devakumar Edwin, vice-president of the group, outlined plans to construct pipelines from Nigeria’s oil-rich Niger Delta region.
“We want to do a major project to bring more gas than what NLNG is doing today,” Edwin said, referencing Nigeria LNG Ltd., currently Africa’s largest LNG exporter. The joint venture between the Nigerian government, Shell, Eni, and TotalEnergies would face new competition from Dangote’s planned operations.
The group already sources natural gas from the Niger Delta to supply its fertiliser plant, where it serves as feedstock for hydrogen production in ammonia manufacturing. This existing infrastructure provides a foundation for the expanded LNG operations.
Dangote’s industrial expansion comes as the billionaire prepares to begin fuel distribution to Nigerian retailers in August, utilising a fleet of 4,000 gas-powered trucks. This move has drawn criticism from some groups who accuse him of attempting to monopolize Nigeria’s oil sector, allegations he has denied.
The 66-year-old businessman, valued at $27.8 billion according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, has built his fortune across multiple sectors including cement manufacturing and sugar production throughout Africa. His refinery and fertilizer complex represents one of the continent’s largest industrial projects, with plans to process exclusively Nigerian crude oil by year-end.
The proposed seaport development signals Dangote’s continued investment in Nigeria’s industrial infrastructure, potentially transforming the country’s export capabilities and creating new competition in West Africa’s logistics sector.
Seunmanuel Faleye is a brand and communications strategist. He is a covert writer and an overt creative head. He publishes Apple’s Bite International Magazine.