Aliko Dangote Advocates for Increased Investments to Propel Africa’s Growth
By Patience Ikpeme
Aliko Dangote, President of the Pan-African conglomerate Dangote Industries Limited (DIL), has called for substantial investments across Africa to accelerate the continent’s development. Speaking at the Africa CEO Forum, the largest assembly of private sector leaders in Africa, Dangote highlighted Africa’s emerging role as a crucial center for global progress.
Dangote underscored the dangers of Africa’s dependence on raw material exports, advocating for strategic investments that enhance domestic industries. “Looking ahead, Africa holds the key to its greatness. I’m not merely investing money but dedicating my entire being to this cause. In Africa, possibilities are boundless. It is like a scratch card; you won’t know what is inside unless you scratch it,” Dangote stated. He emphasized the importance of nurturing domestic manufacturing capabilities to reduce reliance on imported consumer goods.
Over the past seven years, Dangote has invested over $25 billion to improve Africa’s self-sufficiency in critical sectors such as fertilizers, petrochemicals, and refined products. Highlighting the impact of these investments, he pointed to the Dangote Refinery, which has a capacity of 650,000 barrels per day and is set to meet the growing demand across West, Central, and South Africa. “We have finished our refinery; it is quite big. We believe it is what Africa needs,” Dangote noted.
He continued, “If you look at the entire continent, there are only two countries that don’t import petroleum products, only Algeria and Libya but the rest import. We need to change that, so we don’t just produce raw materials but finished products and create jobs. When we produce raw material and export them while others dump finished products on our continent, what we are doing is that we are importing poverty while exporting jobs. We must change the narrative.”
Dangote revealed that the newly commissioned refinery, which started producing jet fuel and diesel in February, will begin gasoline production next month. “It will be able to supply refined products not only in Nigeria because our capacity is too big for Nigeria. It will be able to supply in West Africa, Central Africa and South Africa. This is the first phase, we are going to the next phase by next year,” he said.
The Africa CEO Forum, founded in 2012, provides a platform for African decision-makers to connect with each other and with international investors and institutions operating on the continent. It has evolved into an organization dedicated to facilitating business in Africa through the exchange of ideas and experiences.
Dangote’s address emphasized the paradox of Africa’s export of raw materials alongside an influx of imported finished goods, urging a reversal of this trend to create jobs and alleviate poverty. He called on African nations to embrace a new approach that fosters growth and development from within, securing a prosperous future for the continent.
