Sanwo-Olu: Dangote refinery proves Africa can build at scale

Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, says the Dangote Refinery demonstrates Africa’s capacity to execute ambitious projects capable of transforming markets.
Sanwo-Olu spoke on Thursday at the Africa-Diaspora Leadership Programme 2026 Young Global Leaders Convening, held at the Dangote Refinery, Ibeju-Lekki.
The event was tagged, ‘Building Africa at Scale’.
The governor said the refinery was more than an industrial project, describing its construction as evidence of African ingenuity and determination.

He said the facility was built on reclaimed swamp, lagoon and open water, alongside supporting infrastructure required for its operation.
“Mr Dangote did not build a refinery; he built a country around a refinery, and then he built the refinery,” Sanwo-Olu said.
He said the absence of a suitable port for receiving equipment prompted the construction of a dedicated jetty.
“There was not enough power, so he built a power plant,” the governor said.
Sanwo-Olu said the project survived delays, cost overruns, the COVID-19 pandemic and significant currency depreciation before becoming operational.
“People doubted whether it would ever become operational. But it runs, and that is the first thing to note,” he said.
According to him, the project proves that Africa can deliver infrastructure on a market-changing scale, rather than merely aspire to do so.
The governor, however, warned that Africa’s development could not sustainably depend on individual heroism.
“Scale that depends on one man building his own port and his own power plant is not real scale; it is heroism,” he said.
Sanwo-Olu said the real measure of success was whether future major industrial projects could be delivered more easily.
He said Lagos State Government’s investments in infrastructure were designed to reduce barriers facing future investors and developers.

He listed the Lekki Deep Sea Port, Lekki Free Zone and Lagos Blue Line rail among projects supporting the state’s investment ecosystem.

Sanwo-Olu urged African pension funds, sovereign wealth funds and diaspora investors to participate actively in owning strategic assets across the continent.
He said Africa’s next phase of growth required collective ownership, stronger collaboration and systems that would make major investments replicable.
The governor challenged the young global leaders to transform relationships established during the convening into practical projects addressing Africa’s development challenges.
“Lagos and New York are not strangers. They are the same argument in two accents,” he said.
He said the relationship between Lagos and global cities should encourage partnerships capable of delivering tangible development.
“Africa does not need the world’s permission to build,” Sanwo-Olu said, urging global partners to engage Africa as partners rather than merely as prospectors.
The Africa-Diaspora Leadership Programme brings together young global leaders to explore ways of accelerating development and strengthening Africa-diaspora collaboration.