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

Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu says the Dangote refinery demonstrates Africa’s ability to deliver ambitious projects that can transform markets.
Sanwo-Olu was speaking at the Africa-Diaspora Leadership Program 2026 Global Young Leaders Meeting held at Dangote Refinery, Ibeju-Lekki on Thursday.
The event was tagged “Building Africa at Scale”.
The governor said the refinery is more than an industrial project, describing its construction as proof of African ingenuity and determination.

He said the facility was built on reclaimed wetlands, lagoons and open water, along with the support infrastructure necessary for its operation.
“Mr Dangote didn’t build a refinery; he built a town around a refinery, and then he built the refinery,” Sanwo-Olu said.
He said the absence of a suitable port to receive the equipment prompted the construction of a dedicated pier.
“There wasn’t enough energy, 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 it would ever become operational. But it works, and that’s the first thing to notice,” he said.
According to him, the project demonstrates that Africa can deliver infrastructure on a scale that changes the market, rather than simply aspire to do so.
The governor, however, warned that Africa’s development cannot sustainably depend on individual heroism.
“The scale that depends on one man’s ability to build his own port and his own power plant is not real scale; it is heroism,” he said.
Sanwo-Olu said the true measure of success is whether future major industrial projects can be implemented more easily.
He said Lagos State Government’s investments in infrastructure were designed to reduce barriers that future investors and developers will face.

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

Sanwo-Olu urged African pension funds, sovereign wealth funds and diaspora investors to actively participate in owning strategic assets across the continent.
He said Africa’s next phase of growth will require collective ownership, stronger collaboration and systems that make major investments replicable.
The governor challenged young global leaders to transform the relationships established during the convocation into practical projects that address Africa’s development challenges.
“Lagos and New York are not strangers. They are the same topic with two accents,” he said.
He said the relationship between Lagos and global cities should encourage partnerships that deliver 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 simply seekers.
The Africa-Diaspora Leadership Program brings together young global leaders to explore ways to accelerate development and strengthen Africa-diaspora collaboration.