$20bn refinery project put me ‘through hell’ – Aliko Dangote

Aliko Dangote, Africa’s richest man, and president of Dangote Group has revealed the immense personal and professional challenges he faced in building his $20 billion oil refinery in Lagos, describing the project as having put him “through hell.”

Speaking to Wall Street Journal, Dangote opened up about the sheer scale and complexity of constructing the massive refinery, which is expected to revolutionise Nigeria’s downstream oil sector.

The project, touted as Africa’s largest single-train refinery, has faced numerous hurdles, including logistical nightmares, funding challenges, and technical complexities.

Read also: We’ve enough to meet Nigeria’s petroleum needs – Dangote

The refinery finally began producing diesel and jet fuel early last year, and gasoline in September.

Dangote also faces competition from the Nigerian government, which has spent more than $25 billion refurbishing its own refineries, which began to trickle out fuel at the end of last year.

“I am happy that they have started because at least I will not be called a monopolist, which is very unfair,” Dangote said. Over the past two decades, the government has issued dozens of licenses for refineries.

“I did not stop [other] refineries from being built. I went through hell to build my own,” Dangote told Wall Street Journal.