Dangote Plans Deep-Sea Port to Boost Fertilizer and LNG Exports

Alhaji Aliko Dangote, Africa’s richest man, is moving forward with plans to build a deep-sea port near his fertilizer and refinery plants, a move aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s export capacity and supporting the growing reach of his industrial empire.

In an interview granted in Lagos, Dangote confirmed that formal applications were submitted in late June for what he described as “the biggest, deepest port in Nigeria.” The proposed site is Olokola in Ogun State, located roughly 100 kilometers from his Lagos-based fertilizer and petrochemical operations.

According to Bloomberg, Dangote’s companies currently export urea and fertilizer products through a private jetty connected to the refinery site. This same jetty also handles the importation of large equipment for ongoing industrial projects. The new deep-sea port is expected to significantly boost logistical efficiency and enhance exports, setting up competition with facilities such as the Lekki Deep Sea Port, which was financed by Chinese investors and began operations in 2023.

Dangote stated that his intention is not to dominate the space but to stimulate further private investment in port infrastructure. “It’s not that we want to do everything by ourselves,” he explained. “But I think doing this will encourage other entrepreneurs to come into it.”

The announcement also marks a return to Olokola, a site previously chosen for a refinery and fertilizer project that was eventually shelved due to unresolved issues with local authorities. Those disagreements have now been resolved under a new state administration, clearing the way for renewed development.

In addition to fertilizers, the Dangote Group is laying the groundwork for large-scale liquefied natural gas exports from Lagos. Group Vice President Devakumar Edwin revealed plans for a major pipeline that would transport gas from the Niger Delta directly to the Atlantic coast.

Edwin emphasized the company’s ambition to surpass current levels of gas processing and export achieved by Nigeria LNG Limited, the country’s largest LNG exporter and a joint venture involving the federal government and international energy giants including Shell, Eni, and TotalEnergies.

“We want to do a major project to bring more gas than what NLNG is doing today,” Edwin said. “We know where there is a lot of gas, so we’ll run a pipeline all through and bring it to the shore.”

The proposed port and LNG infrastructure signal a major expansion of Dangote’s influence in Nigeria’s energy and export sectors, with potential ripple effects across the broader West African region.