Africa and Nigeria’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, is taking another major step in the expansion of his industrial empire with plans to construct a deep seaport near his existing fertilizer and oil refinery plants.
The initiative is aimed at boosting export capacity and strengthening the Dangote Group’s logistics operations.
Speaking in a recent interview in Lagos, Dangote confirmed that his group submitted formal paperwork in late June to kickstart construction on what he described as “the biggest, deepest port in Nigeria.”
The planned Atlantic seaport will be located in Olokola, Ogun State, approximately 100 kilometres (62 miles) from the group’s massive fertilizer and petrochemical facilities in Lagos, according to Bloomberg.
Currently, the Dangote Group exports fertilizer and urea through a private jetty built near its refinery site. This jetty also serves as the landing point for heavy industrial equipment.
The proposed port will offer an integrated logistics solution for the group’s growing operations and may soon compete with existing infrastructure like the Chinese-funded Lekki Deep Sea Port, which began operations 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, the project also includes plans for shipping liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Lagos. This would require building pipelines from the gas-rich 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,” Dangote said, referencing Nigeria LNG Ltd., the country’s top LNG exporter, which operates as 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.”
Once completed, the port will link the conglomerate’s logistics and export operations and rival facilities in Lagos, Nigeria’s commercial capital, including the Chinese-funded Lekki Deep Sea Port opened in 2023.
“It’s not that we want to do everything by ourselves, but I think doing this will encourage other entrepreneurs to come into it,” he said.
The port marks the billionaire’s return to the same site where he had previously abandoned plans to build his giant refinery and fertilizer complex after wrangling with local authorities. The tensions have since been mended under a new administration.
Dangote already utilizes natural gas from the Niger Delta to power his fertilizer plant, where gas is converted into hydrogen to produce ammonia, a key component in fertilizer production.
His vision is rooted in bold ambition and long-term planning. The billionaire recently remarked that Africa could be transformed into a “heaven” in just five years.
Earlier this year, he also announced that the Dangote Group is on track to generate $30 billion in revenue by next year, despite global concerns over trade tariffs under US President Donald Trump’s administration.
Furthermore, Dangote has set his sights on surpassing Qatar to make Nigeria the world’s largest urea exporter within four years.
