Dangote Refinery Shows Africa Can Deliver Projects at Global Scale – Sanwo-Olu

Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has cited the Dangote Refinery as a powerful demonstration of Africa’s capacity to conceive, finance and deliver large-scale infrastructure projects.

Sanwo-Olu made the assertion during the Lagos-New York 2026 Learning Journey to the Dangote Refinery in Lekki, an engagement hosted by the Aliko Dangote Foundation in partnership with the Forum of Young Global Leaders.

The governor, who shared highlights of the visit on his X account on Thursday, reflected on the remarkable transformation of the Lekki corridor and the scale of development that has taken place in the area.

According to him, the location occupied by the refinery was once open water, underscoring the extent of planning, investment and engineering required to transform the area into a major industrial hub.

“A decade ago, the ground beneath our feet was open water. Everything built here had to be imagined, funded and reclaimed from the sea,” Sanwo-Olu said.

“That is the essence of Lagos. We do not wait for perfect conditions; we build the ground first.”

Sanwo-Olu said the refinery’s ability to produce 650,000 barrels of petroleum products daily was particularly significant, describing the facility as proof that projects of global magnitude could be successfully executed on the continent.

“Producing 650,000 barrels a day, this refinery proves Africa can execute at a massive scale,” he said.

The governor commended Aliko Dangote for investing in Lagos despite the considerable challenges and costs associated with developing the Lekki axis.

“I thank my brother, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, for believing in Lagos when it was expensive to do so,” he said.

He also acknowledged the contributions of the Aliko Dangote Foundation, the Forum of Young Global Leaders, the Africa Center and Afreximbank to the learning programme and broader discussions around development.

Sanwo-Olu said the issue of scale was especially important for Lagos because of the size of its population and the enormous pressures associated with managing one of Africa’s largest urban centres.

“We came together to talk about scale, but scale is not an abstract concept to us. It is the daily reality of governing over 25 million people,” Sanwo-Olu said.

He said the challenges confronting Lagos today mirror some of the major issues that other African cities would increasingly have to address, particularly in infrastructure, energy and youth employment.

“Every pressure Africa will face this century, Lagos is confronting this decade: our roads, our energy, and a young population that will either drive our growth or define our risk.”

The governor stressed that sustainable development could not depend solely on the extraordinary efforts of individuals, saying institutions and systems must be created to make it easier for subsequent investors and entrepreneurs to succeed.

“A system that relies on one man’s extraordinary willpower is not a business model. That is heroism and heroism is hard to repeat,” he said.

“The true test of this refinery is whether the next builder has a smoother path.”

He pointed to the infrastructure developed around the Lekki corridor, including the Lekki Deep Sea Port, the Lekki Free Zone and the Blue Line rail project, as examples of efforts to establish an integrated environment capable of supporting industrial and commercial expansion.

“That is our commitment. Everything my administration has put into the Lekki corridor, the Lekki Deep Sea Port, the Free Zone, the Blue Line rail, and the upcoming airport is designed so the next investor does not have to build from scratch,” he said.

Sanwo-Olu urged members of the Young Global Leaders participating in the programme to move beyond conversations about Africa’s potential and pursue practical partnerships capable of delivering measurable results.

“Africa is not waiting for permission to build,” he said. “We have already started, and now is the time to turn conversations into partnerships.”