Africa’s richest man is making plans to construct Nigeria’s largest and deepest seaport for his next phase of empire expansion. Aiko Dangote is moving ahead with plans to build the major seaport near his fertilizer and oil refinery plants. The move is aimed to ease exports and power the continued expansion of his vast industrial empire. Furthermore, in a recent interview in Lagos, Dangote confirmed that his group submitted paperwork in late June to commence work. 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.
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. Once completed, the new port will help integrate logistics and export activities across the group. It is anticipated it could rival key facilities in Lagos. This includes the Chinese-backed Lekki Deep Seaport. “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.”
Also read:
The Dangote Petroleum Refinery Officially Commences Production: The Largest in Africa
The Scope of Implementation on Nigeria’s Largest and Deepest Seaport
The scope of implementation on Nigeria’s largest and deepest seaport entails various aspects to improve access. 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. He made his reference to Nigeria LNG Ltd., the country’s leading liquefied natural gas exporter.
It was 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.” Dangote already taps into Nigeria’s gas-rich Niger Delta to power his massive fertilizer plant. In this process, the natural gas is used as feedstock to produce hydrogen for ammonia. This is 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. He also added that the group also aims to surpass Qatar and become the world’s largest exporter of urea within the next four years.
Also read:
The Dangote Petroleum Refinery Officially Commences Production: The Largest in Africa
Dangote Head Office Building Development in Ikoyi, Lagos, Nigeria
