By Ayomide Otitoju
Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has described the Dangote Refinery as more than an industrial project, saying its development demonstrated Africa’s capacity to execute ambitious projects on a market-changing scale.
Sanwo-Olu spoke 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.
The governor said the refinery was built on land reclaimed from swamp, lagoon and open water, with supporting infrastructure, including a jetty and power plant, also developed to sustain the project.
He, however, cautioned that Africa’s development could not depend on individual “heroism”, stressing that the real test of the refinery’s success would be whether subsequent major industrial projects become easier to develop.
“Mr. Dangote did not build a refinery. He built a country around a refinery, and then he built the refinery,” Sanwo-Olu said.
He noted that the absence of a port capable of receiving the refinery’s equipment necessitated the construction of a jetty, while inadequate power supply led to the development of a dedicated power plant.
According to him, the project also survived the COVID-19 pandemic, currency depreciation and doubts over whether it would eventually become operational.
“It runs. That is the first thing to note: Africa can build on a market-changing scale,” he said.
Sanwo-Olu cited the Lekki Deep Sea Port, Lekki Free Zone and Lagos Blue Line rail as examples of infrastructure developed to reduce barriers for future investors and developers.
He said Africa should also increase the participation of pension funds, sovereign wealth funds and the diaspora in owning strategic assets across the continent.
The governor said the continent’s next phase of growth would require collective ownership, collaboration and stronger systems rather than reliance on individual entrepreneurs.
“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 urged the Young Global Leaders to move beyond discussions and convert the relationships formed during the gathering into practical projects capable of addressing Africa’s challenges.
He said Africa did not need external permission to develop, while encouraging the diaspora and international partners to engage with the continent as partners rather than merely as investors seeking opportunities.
Drawing a comparison between Lagos and New York, the governor said both cities demonstrated how determination and ambition could overcome difficult conditions to create globally significant urban centres.
“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,” Sanwo-Olu said.
