Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, has reiterated his commitment to empowering Nigerian engineers and building local capacity through large-scale industrial projects.
This assurance was made during a visit by the Lagos Branch of the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE) to the Dangote Petroleum Refinery at Ibeju-Lekki, Lagos State.
Dangote humbly acknowledged the enormity of the refinery project.
“Honestly, if we had fully understood the magnitude and challenges involved, we may not have even attempted it, but it is because we didn’t know what we were into initially and the courage, or maybe, naivety that got us this far,” he said.
The refinery is designed to handle massive volumes, with up to 600 product vessels and about 240 crude oil tankers expected annually.
These challenges were addressed while ensuring the preservation of local fishing communities.
Dangote mentioned, “We had to uproot thousands of trees manually. Sand-filling alone took 18 months but we made a deliberate decision to preserve the livelihoods of those living nearby, especially fishermen.”
When asked how Nigerian professionals could be given more opportunities, Dangote replied, “We appreciate that. There are many more projects coming, and with them, we will continue to develop our engineering base.
” Even when we don’t have enough jobs to give, we must still train people.
” Skills are assets, whether they are used here or abroad. We want Nigeria to earn from exporting knowledge, not just oil.”
Dangote highlighted the significant role of Nigerians in the project, stating that 85 per cent of the commissioning work was done by Nigerians.
He emphasised, “Today, we are our own EPC (Engineering, Procurement and Construction) contractors. We are building this country ourselves.”
On her part, the Chairman of NSE Lagos Branch, Mrs. Olukorede Kesha, praised the refinery as an engineering breakthrough for Africa, commending Dangote’s initiative.
She said, “If we have more of this kind of development in Nigeria, unemployment and poverty would be in the past.
”We are extremely proud of what we have seen. Nigerians are taking the lead here.”
The NSE delegates also toured the Lagos Calabar Coastal Highway project, describing it as “an enormous national asset. ”
