LCCI Hails Dangote As Benchmark, Urges Government To Fix Power, Logistics

The president of Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), Engr. Leye Kupoluyi, has described Dangote Industries Limited as a benchmark for industrial audacity in Nigeria.

The Chamber urged the government to urgently address structural constraints holding back manufacturers, particularly unreliable power supply, costly transport and logistics, and the need for predictable fiscal policies.

Kupoluyi spoke at the Dangote Group Special Day at the 40th Lagos International Trade Fair, themed ‘Trade, Growth and Global Connection’, where NASCON Allied Industries Plc unveiled a new range of Dangote seasoning products.

He highlighted Dangote’s investments across cement, fertiliser, petroleum refining and consumer goods as examples of private-sector initiatives capable of reducing import dependence and strengthening domestic productive capacity.

He identified the 650,000-barrel-per-day Dangote Petroleum Refinery and the Group’s other large-scale manufacturing investments as proof that Nigeria can build world-class industrial capacity when the private sector commits long-term capital.

According to Kupoluyi, Nigeria was gradually moving from macroeconomic stabilisation towards production-led prosperity, pointing to improvements in economic growth and external reserves.

He said the transition, however, would only be sustained if government removed the bottlenecks that continue to raise production costs for manufacturers across the country.

Kupoluyi urged the government to accelerate efforts to address unreliable power supply, costly transport and logistics, and the need for predictable fiscal policies.

According to him, tackling these challenges would reduce the cost of doing business, improve industrial competitiveness and make it easier to replicate large-scale manufacturing investments across other sectors of the Nigerian economy.

He stressed that manufacturers needed stable and affordable electricity, efficient transport networks and a policy environment that allows for long-term planning if Nigeria is to compete effectively in regional and global markets.

The Group Executive Director, Commercial Operations, Dangote Industries Limited, Fatima Aliko-Dangote, said sustainable economic growth must be anchored on production, as manufacturing creates jobs, builds skills and transforms raw materials into higher-value products.

She said this conviction informed Dangote Group’s strategic transition from trading to manufacturing and continues to underpin its investments across critical sectors of the African economy.

Aliko-Dangote stated that Dangote Cement has an installed production capacity of about 55 million tonnes per annum across Africa, while investments in petroleum refining, fertiliser and other industries are helping to advance self-sufficiency and strengthen the continent’s capacity to export value-added products.

She also highlighted the Group’s continuing investments across Africa, including projects in Kenya, Ethiopia, Djibouti and Namibia, where a $140 million tank farm near Walvis Bay is expected to strengthen the country’s position as a strategic Atlantic energy gateway.

Under its Vision 2030 growth agenda, she said the Group plans to expand the Dangote Petroleum Refinery’s capacity from 650,000 barrels per day to 1.4 million barrels per day, increase fertiliser production capacity to 12 million metric tonnes, and expand polypropylene production to support industries including packaging, textiles, automotive, medical and construction.

The unveiling of NASCON’s new seasoning range — Dangote Classic, Dangote Beef Seasoning and Dangote Chicken Seasoning — formed a major highlight of the Dangote Group Special Day.

The managing director, NASCON, Aderemi Saka, said the products reflect the company’s commitment to product innovation, greater consumer choice and quality seasoning solutions specially tailored to Nigerian consumers.

Kupoluyi said the fair remains a vital platform for connecting businesses, showcasing innovation and driving trade-led growth.