Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has described the Dangote Refinery as more than an industrial project, saying its construction demonstrates Africa’s capacity to execute ambitious projects at a market-changing scale.
Sanwo-Olu made the remarks on Thursday at the official launch of the Africa–Diaspora Leadership Programme 2026 Young Global Leaders Convening, themed “Building Africa at Scale,” held at the Dangote Refinery and Petrochemical Complex in Ibeju-Lekki, Lagos.
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The governor said the scale and complexity of the refinery required the development of supporting infrastructure, including a jetty and power plant, after the project was built on land reclaimed from swamp, lagoon and open water.
“Mr. Dangote did not build a refinery. He built a country around a refinery, and then he built the refinery,” Sanwo-Olu said.
According to the governor, the project faced several challenges, including delays, rising costs, the COVID-19 pandemic and significant currency depreciation before becoming operational.
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He said the completion of the refinery was evidence that projects once considered unrealistic could be delivered in Africa.
“Scale that depends on one man building his own port and his own power plant is not real scale. It is heroism. And heroism does not repeat,” he said.
Sanwo-Olu argued that Africa’s development should move beyond individual efforts and create systems and infrastructure that make it easier for subsequent investors to undertake large-scale projects.
He cited the Lekki Deep Sea Port, Lekki Free Zone and Lagos Blue Line rail as examples of infrastructure developed to reduce barriers for businesses, investors and future industrial projects in Lagos.
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The governor also called for greater participation by African pension funds, sovereign wealth funds and members of the diaspora in owning strategic assets across the continent.
He said Africa’s next phase of economic growth would require collective ownership, collaboration and investment rather than dependence on individual entrepreneurs.
Sanwo-Olu further urged participants at the Young Global Leaders convening to move beyond discussions and convert the relationships established at the gathering into practical projects capable of addressing Africa’s development challenges.
Drawing a comparison between Lagos and New York, the governor said both cities demonstrate how ambitious urban development can emerge from challenging environments.
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“Lagos and New York are not strangers. They are the same argument in two accents: that a city can be made from the sheer determination of people who refused to wait for conditions to be perfect,” he said.
Sanwo-Olu urged the young global leaders to return from the programme with a stronger commitment to building solutions on the continent, stressing that Africa does not need external permission to pursue large-scale development.
The Africa–Diaspora Leadership Programme 2026 Young Global Leaders Convening brings together young leaders around the theme of building Africa at scale and strengthening connections between the continent and its diaspora.
