28/10/2025
WHICH CONSTRUCTION COMPANY BUILT DANGOTE REFINERY?
Not many Nigerians know that Dangote has to first build a full-scale construction company, before he built the Dangote refinery?
Dangote literally built a full scale construction company to construct the refinery.
A perfect display of business brilliance.
Now let me explain the brilliance in Dangote's move.
When Aliko Dangote announced his plan to build Africa's largest oil refinery, many assumed he would contract foreign construction giants, the usual suspects from China, France, or the U.S.
But if you understand how this man thinks, you'll know he doesn't outsource big moves, he executes it himself.
He knew something most entrepreneurs never grasp:
"You can't build world-class infrastructure in Nigeria without first building the infrastructure to build it."
So what did DANGOTE do?
He built the foundation before the refinery.
He established Dangote Projects Limited, a fully equipped construction company under the Dangote group designed to handle everything from civil works to mechanical installations.
But it didn't stop there.
To build that refinery, he had to first build the world around it.
Because in Nigeria, the challenge is never just the project, it's the infrastructure that supports the project.
There were no roads strong enough to carry refinery equipment.
There was no consistent power supply to sustain construction.
The ports couldn't handle the massive cargo.
So Dangote did what great industrialists do, he built everything he needed himself.
He built a 435-megawatt power plant to generate electricity for the refinery, fertilizer plant, and even parts of the surrounding communities.
He built internal roads, bridges, and a deep-sea port (the Lekki Port access Jetty) to bring in heavy equipment.
He trained over 30,000 Nigerian engineers, welders, and technicians,turning skill scarcity into a local advantage.
