President and Chief Executive of the Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, has revealed that discussions are underway with the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy for the construction of what is projected to become the largest seaport in Africa. Dangote made this known on Monday while delivering a goodwill message at the opening ceremony of the Mid-Year Session of the Board of Directors of the Port Management Association of West and Central Africa (PMAWCA) in Victoria Island, Lagos.
The multibillionaire industrialist and Africa’s richest man disclosed that his company has formally applied to commence work on a new deep seaport in Olokola, Ogun State, strategically located near his sprawling fertiliser and petrochemical facilities. The proposed development is expected to significantly enhance the export capacity of the Dangote Group, particularly for products such as fertiliser, petrochemicals and liquefied natural gas.
The Olokola seaport site is situated approximately 100 kilometres by road from the Dangote fertiliser plant and oil refinery complex in Lagos, widely regarded as one of the largest industrial projects in Africa. At present, the conglomerate exports urea and fertiliser through a privately constructed jetty, which also serves as a reception point for heavy industrial equipment used at the refinery.
Once completed, the new port is expected to integrate and streamline the group’s logistics and export operations, while positioning it as a major player in Nigeria’s maritime and logistics sector. The proposed facility is also likely to compete directly with existing ports in Lagos, including the Chinese-funded Lekki Deep Sea Port, which commenced operations in 2023.
Speaking at the event, Dangote noted that although his company has long been one of the largest users of port and logistics services in the country, the time had come for the group to transition into becoming a provider of port and logistics services as well.