Dangote: If We Understood the Magnitude, We Might Not Have Attempted the Refinery

Africa’s richest man and industrialist, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, has admitted that he might not have embarked on the $20 billion Dangote Refinery project had he fully understood the magnitude and complexity involved.

Dangote made the remark on Monday while receiving a delegation from the Lagos branch of the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE) at the Dangote Petroleum Refinery in Ibeju-Lekki, Lagos.

“Honestly, if we had fully understood the magnitude and challenges involved, we may not have even attempted it,” he said. “But it is because we didn’t know what we were into initially and the courage — or maybe naivety — that got us this far.”

He revealed that the refinery is designed to handle a massive operational scale, including processing 240 crude oil tankers and about 600 product vessels annually.

Dangote described the construction journey as arduous, especially due to the swampy terrain. He recalled the painstaking effort that went into clearing the land and dredging 65 million cubic metres of sand from 20 kilometres offshore, all while ensuring the livelihoods of nearby fishing communities were not disrupted.

“We had to uproot thousands of trees manually. Sand-filling alone took 18 months. But we were deliberate in preserving the livelihoods of local fishermen,” he said.

Speaking on the development of local engineering capacity, Dangote expressed a strong commitment to empowering Nigerian professionals through industrial projects. Responding to questions from engineers during the visit, he assured that Nigerian talents would continue to play a central role in the company’s future ventures.

“There are many more projects coming, and with them, we will continue to develop our engineering base,” he said. “Even when we don’t have enough jobs to offer, we must continue to train people. Skills are assets — whether used here or abroad. Nigeria should aim to earn from exporting knowledge, not just crude oil.”

He disclosed that although the project was initially projected to require as many as 50,000 expatriate workers, only about 12,000 to 14,000 foreign experts were eventually employed. The majority of the workforce — from engineers to welders and fitters — were Nigerians.

“Eighty-five per cent of the commissioning work was done by Nigerians. Not because I’m an engineer, but because they’ve proven they are among the best,” he noted. “Today, we are our own EPC (Engineering, Procurement and Construction) contractors. We are building this country ourselves.”

He urged the visiting engineers to see the tour as a step toward aligning with Nigeria’s broader vision for industrial development and self-sufficiency.

In her remarks, the Chairman of NSE Lagos branch, Mrs. Olukorede Kesha, praised the refinery as an “engineering breakthrough for Africa,” commending Dangote for the scale and ambition of the project.

“We’ve heard so much about the refinery, but seeing it firsthand has been extraordinary,” she said. “The level of Nigerian involvement here is impressive. If we had more of this kind of development, unemployment and poverty would be things of the past.”

She also stressed that such large-scale industrial initiatives not only address domestic challenges but also have the potential to position Nigeria as an exporter of both refined products and professional expertise.

The NSE delegation also visited the Lagos-Calabar coastal highway project and described it as a monumental infrastructure asset for the nation.