Alhaji Aliko Dangote has tagged his $23 billion Dangote Refinery project as the “biggest risk” of his life.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with Forbes on Monday, February 17, Dangote acknowledged his challenges in bringing the venture to fruition.
“It was the biggest risk of my life. If this didn’t work, I was dead,” he said. Despite the refinery’s groundbreaking capacity of 650,000 barrels per day and its status as Africa’s largest, Dangote revealed that the journey to completion was fraught with uncertainties.
He also spoke about the hurdles he faced in financing the project, the regulatory challenges, and securing suppliers.
Dangote said he is committed to providing a blueprint for industrialisation across Africa. “We have to build our nation by ourselves. We must build our continent by ourselves, not rely on foreign investment.”
He added that Africa has been “a mere dumping ground for finished products,” and his refinery represents “a pivotal step in ensuring that Africa can refine its crude oil, thereby creating wealth and prosperity for its vast population,” he said.
According to the Forbes report, despite establishing a family office in Dubai and involving his three daughters in various roles within the family business, his focus remains firmly on Nigeria.
He continues to dedicate much of his time to the refinery, regularly meeting with engineers and managers to oversee progress. Dangote is also working on projects such as building a subsea pipeline to transport natural gas from the Niger Delta to Lagos and expanding the capacity of the refinery’s fertiliser plant.
Looking ahead, he plans to take the refinery public within the next year or two. “I’ve been fighting battles all my life and I have not lost one yet,” he said
