Aliko Dangote seeks approval to build deep-sea port in Olokola, expanding export infrastructure.
The project aims to boost fertilizer, LNG exports and revive investments in Ogun State.
Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, has applied for regulatory approval to begin construction on a deep-sea port in Olokola, Ogun State, as part of an ambitious move to expand his industrial footprint and streamline exports from his rapidly growing conglomerate.
Speaking in a recent interview in Lagos, Dangote confirmed that paperwork for the proposed Atlantic seaport was submitted in late June. The planned port, located roughly 100 kilometers from his massive fertilizer and petrochemical refinery plants in Lagos, is expected to bolster the group’s export capacity, particularly for products like urea, fertilizer, and liquefied natural gas (LNG).
The new seaport is set to rival other major Nigerian maritime infrastructure, including the Lekki Deep Sea Port, which was opened in 2023 with Chinese backing. Dangote’s existing jetty near his Lagos refinery already supports the import of industrial equipment and the export of fertilizer, but the planned Olokola port aims to provide a broader logistics base to facilitate further expansion.
“We don’t necessarily want to do everything ourselves, but building this port will encourage other entrepreneurs to invest in infrastructure too,” Dangote said.
The move also marks a return to Olokola, the exact coastal location where earlier plans to site his refinery complex were shelved due to disputes with local authorities. Those issues have reportedly been resolved under the current administration, paving the way for renewed investment in the region.
Dangote Group’s vice president, Devakumar Edwin, disclosed that the company is also preparing to export LNG from Lagos. This will involve laying new pipelines from the gas-rich Niger Delta to the proposed facility on the Atlantic shore.
“We plan to develop a major gas export project that could exceed what Nigeria LNG is doing today,” Edwin said. Nigeria LNG Ltd. is currently the largest exporter of LNG on the continent and is jointly owned by the federal government, Shell, Eni, and TotalEnergies.
Dangote’s fertilizer plant already utilizes gas from the Niger Delta to produce ammonia through hydrogen synthesis, a critical component in urea production. The expansion into LNG exports aligns with the group’s long-term vision of leveraging Nigeria’s gas reserves for industrial use and global supply.
In addition to energy exports, Dangote is set to commence domestic fuel distribution in August, deploying a fleet of 4,000 gas-powered trucks to deliver fuel directly to Nigerian retailers. While the move has raised concerns about potential monopolistic control of the oil sector, Dangote has rejected such claims, stating that the aim is to improve distribution efficiency.
