Aliko Dangote has revealed that the scale and complexity of the Dangote Petroleum Refinery project far exceeded initial expectations, admitting that a full understanding of the challenges involved might have discouraged the venture. He made this disclosure while receiving a delegation from the Lagos branch of the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE) during their visit to the refinery at Ibeju-Lekki, Lagos State.
“Honestly, if we had fully understood the magnitude and challenges involved, we may not have even attempted it. But it is because we didn’t know what we were into initially—and perhaps out of courage or naivety—that we made it this far,” Dangote said.
He highlighted the vast operational capacity of the refinery, which is projected to handle up to 600 product vessels and around 240 crude oil tankers annually. According to him, the journey to bring the facility to life was riddled with major hurdles, such as constructing on swampy terrain, clearing large expanses of land, and dredging 65 million cubic metres of sand from 20 kilometres offshore—all in a bid to protect the livelihoods of nearby fishing communities.
“We had to uproot thousands of trees manually. The sand-filling process alone took 18 months, but we made a deliberate choice to preserve the economic activities of local residents, particularly fishermen,” he added.
In response to a question from an engineer about increasing opportunities for Nigerian professionals, Dangote reaffirmed his commitment to developing local engineering capacity. “There are many more projects coming, and with them, we will continue to build our engineering base. Even when there aren’t enough jobs, we must still train people. Skills are assets—whether used locally or abroad. Nigeria must start earning from exporting knowledge, not just crude oil,” he said.
While the original plan estimated the employment of 50,000 foreign workers, Dangote noted that the project eventually utilized only 12,000 to 14,000 expatriates. The vast majority of the refinery’s workforce—including fitters, welders, and engineers—were Nigerians.
“Eighty-five per cent of the commissioning work was carried out by Nigerians. Not because I am an engineer, but because Nigerian professionals have proven to be among the best. Today, we are our own EPC (Engineering, Procurement, and Construction) contractors. We are building this country with our own hands,” he declared.
Encouraging the NSE members to view the visit as a call to action, Dangote urged them to align with the national vision of industrial growth and self-reliance.
In her remarks, Mrs. Olukorede Kesha, Chairman of the Lagos branch of the NSE, lauded the refinery as an extraordinary feat of African engineering. She described the site visit as eye-opening and inspiring, emphasizing the importance of hands-on professional exposure.
“We’ve heard so much about this refinery, but seeing it for ourselves has been a remarkable experience. The involvement of Nigerian professionals far exceeds that of foreign experts, and that is commendable,” Kesha said.
She further stressed that initiatives like this not only tackle domestic challenges such as unemployment and poverty but also set the stage for Nigeria to become a global exporter of manufactured products and skilled professionals.
The NSE delegation also visited the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project, describing it as a monumental infrastructure asset for the nation.