Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, is moving ahead with plans to build a major seaport near his fertilizer and oil refinery plants, a move aimed at easing exports and powering the continued expansion of his vast industrial empire.
In a recent interview in Lagos, Dangote confirmed that his group submitted paperwork in late June to begin work on what he described as “the biggest, deepest port in Nigeria.”
The proposed Atlantic seaport will be located in Olokola, Ogun State, about 100 kilometres (62 miles) from his massive fertilizer and petrochemical facilities in Lagos, Bloomberg reported.
Currently, Dangote exports fertilizer and urea through a private jetty he built near the refinery site, the same jetty that also receives the heavy equipment needed for operations.
The new port will help integrate logistics and export activities across the group. It could rival key facilities in Lagos, including the Chinese-backed Lekki Deep Sea Port, which opened in 2023.
“It’s not that we want to do everything by ourselves,” Dangote said, “but I believe this kind of investment will inspire other entrepreneurs to get involved too.”
Beyond fertilizer exports, Dangote also plans to ship liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Lagos. This project will require the construction of pipelines from the Niger Delta, according to Devakumar Edwin, vice president of the Dangote Group.
“We want to do a major project to bring in more gas than what NLNG is doing today,” said Aliko Dangote, referencing Nigeria LNG Ltd., the country’s leading liquefied natural gas exporter and a joint venture between the Nigerian government, Shell Plc, Eni SpA, and TotalEnergies SE. “We know where there is a lot of gas, so we’ll run a pipeline all the way and bring it to the shore.”
Pipeline plans to tap Niger Delta’s gas potential
Dangote already taps into Nigeria’s gas-rich Niger Delta to power his massive fertilizer plant, where natural gas is used as feedstock to produce hydrogen for ammonia, a key ingredient in fertilizer production.
Guided by bold thinking and long-term planning, the billionaire industrialist believes Africa could be transformed into a “heaven” within just five years.
Earlier this year, the billionaire industrialist said his conglomerate is on track to generate $30 billion in total revenue by next year, even as global businesses express concerns about the potential impact of trade tariffs under U.S. President Donald Trump.
He added that the group also aims to surpass Qatar and become the world’s largest exporter of urea within the next four years.
