Africa's richest man and leading industrialist, Aliko Dangote, President of Dangote Group, has unveiled plans to expand into steel production, electricity generation, and port development as part of his drive to accelerate Africa’s industrialisation.
The announcement comes as the Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals inducted 330 graduate engineers into its technical workforce, reinforcing the company’s commitment to local content development and engineering capacity.
Dangote, whose conglomerate already spans cement, sugar, salt, fertiliser, and petrochemicals, said his long-term goal is to deepen Africa’s manufacturing base beyond oil refining.
“We have to industrialise Africa,” he stated, noting that steel, power, and port infrastructure will be his next focus areas.
His 650,000 barrels per day refinery has been operational for over two years and is producing multiple petroleum products.
Output is expected to double within three years as expansion continues.
Dangote also announced plans to list refinery shares on the Nigerian stock market to broaden local participation.
He cited India’s Tata Group as a model for diversified industrial growth, stressing that large-scale projects are essential for job creation.
Nigeria is projected to need up to 50 million new jobs by 2030, and Dangote said industrialisation is key to absorbing the youth population.
The refinery alone employs about 30,000 workers, 80% of them Nigerians, with expansion expected to raise total employment to 65,000.
Building Local Talent
At the refinery complex, 330 graduate engineers were formally inducted after extensive training and mentorship.
CEO David Bird described the programme as a strategic milestone. “This induction marks another step in our drive to build local capacity and strengthen Nigeria’s engineering talent pool,” he said.
The trainees, drawn from chemical, mechanical, electrical, and instrumentation engineering, presented projects on refinery modelling and solutions to operational challenges.
Coordinator Dr. Ebele Oputa explained that the training was designed to match classroom theory with practical refinery experience, preparing the engineers for leadership roles.
Despite challenges such as crude supply and logistics bottlenecks, Dangote said the group will continue investing in sectors that reduce import dependence and retain economic value within Africa.
“Nobody dared to do it, so we did it,” he remarked, reaffirming his belief in large-scale private investment as the driver of Nigeria’s industrial future.
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