Aliko Dangote plans to build Nigeria’s largest seaport in Ogun State. He also said two new cement lines with a 6 million metric ton capacity are under construction in Itori, Ogun.
Project Factsheet
- Project name: Dangote Olokola Seaport and Itori Cement Expansion.
- Location: Ogun State, Nigeria (Olokola Free Trade Zone and Itori).
- Seaport capacity: Multibillion-dollar facility (Nigeria’s largest planned port).
- Cement factory capacity: Additional 6 million metric tons annually at Itori.
- Total cement capacity in Ogun: 18 million metric tons per year.
- Completion date (Itori plant): November 2026.
- Key stakeholders: Dangote Industries Limited, Ogun State Government.
During a visit to Abeokuta, Dangote told the Ogun State Executive Council, led by Governor Dapo Abiodun, about his plans. Aliko Dangote said he chose to return and invest in Ogun because of the governor’s vision, pro-investor policies, and the state’s friendly business climate.
He also stated that Ogun State is one of Nigeria’s most appealing investment destinations, positioned as the country’s manufacturing ‘bedrock’. According to him, they had previously abandoned their vision of investing in the Olokola Free Trade Zone (OKFTZ), but because of the policies and investor-friendly environment, they are returning to Olokola and will collaborate with the state government to build the country’s largest port.
Dangote Cement expands operations with new 6 million ton plant in Itori
The billionaire provided an update on the company’s continuing projects in the state, stating that two new lines with a capacity of 6.0 million metric tons per year for the cement plant are being built at Itori, while the 12 million metric tons per year cement plant is also located at Ibeshe.
He regretted that resistance from former Governor Ibikunle Amosun delayed the completion and commissioning of the roughly $800 million Itori cement facility, which sits on 533 hectares of land.
Dangote stated that once completed, the total capacity of the company’s cement facilities in the state will be around 18 million metric tons per year, making it Africa’s largest cement-producing state or region. He said:
With the contributions of other cement producers in the state, Ogun remains far ahead of other countries across Africa in terms of cement production.
The Itori cement factory is scheduled for completion by November 2026. He said Dangote Cement is Africa’s largest cement producer, with a capacity of 52 million metric tons per year. Nigeria accounts for 70% of the output, with the Obajana factory in Kogi State producing 16.25 million metric tons annually, the largest in Africa.
The billionaire said investment in cement production has made Nigeria self-sufficient, just like in fertilizer. Surplus from both now goes to export, earning the necessary foreign exchange.
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Nigeria’s largest seaport and cement plant boost Nigeria’s self-sufficiency in key sectors
Dangote stated that the company’s goal is to make Nigeria self-sufficient in whatever it consumes. The company is currently meeting domestic demand for Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) from its 650,000 barrels per day refinery at Ibeju-Lekki, as well as refined aviation fuel and Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG).
He stated that Nigeria is a rising economy, necessitating the need for private enterprises to supplement government efforts, and that his company would continue to display its belief in the nation and its people by making investments aimed at altering the country’s economy.
Responding, Governor Abiodun emphasised that with the proposed Itori cement plant, which will produce six million metric tons of cement per year, and the existing Ibeshe plant, which produces 12 million metric tons, cement production in the state will total 18 million metric tons per year, making it the largest cement producer in Nigeria and Sub-Saharan Africa.
