Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, has formally applied to begin constructing a deep seaport near his fertilizer and oil refinery plants, aiming to boost exports—including liquefied natural gas—and strengthen his fast-growing industrial operations, according to Bloomberg.
In an interview, Dangote confirmed he submitted the necessary paperwork in late June, describing plans “to build the biggest, deepest port in Nigeria” as having gained momentum.
The planned Atlantic seaport will be situated in Olokola, Ogun State, about 100 kilometres (62 miles) from Dangote’s fertilizer and petrochemical complex in Lagos. At present, Dangote exports urea and fertilizer via a private jetty, which also handles heavy equipment deliveries for his refinery.
Once completed, the new port is expected to integrate the group’s logistics and export activities, competing with existing facilities in Lagos, such as the Chinese-funded Lekki Deep Sea Port inaugurated in 2023. Lekki Port currently handles 1.2 million TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units) annually, with plans to expand capacity to 2.7 million TEUs. It accommodates vessels of up to 18,000 TEUs, including container ships, bulk carriers, and oil tankers.
“We’re not trying to do everything ourselves,” Dangote said. “But I believe this will encourage other entrepreneurs to get involved.”
Additionally, Dangote’s group intends to begin exporting liquefied natural gas from Lagos, a project that would require new pipelines from Nigeria’s Niger Delta. According to Devakumar Edwin, a vice-president at Dangote Group, “We want to do a major project to bring more gas than what NLNG is doing today.” NLNG, Nigeria LNG Ltd., is currently the continent’s biggest LNG exporter and is a joint venture involving the government, Shell, Eni, and TotalEnergies.
“We know where there is a lot of gas,” Edwin added. “We’ll run a pipeline all through and bring it to the shore.”
Dangote already sources gas from the Niger Delta for his fertilizer plant, using it to produce hydrogen for ammonia, a key ingredient in crop nutrients.
