The Chairman of Dangote Group of Companies, Aliko Dangote, has submitted a paperwork for the commencement of the construction of Olokola Free Trade Zone (FTZ) Deep Seaport project in Ogun State, which is designed to be Nigeria’s largest and deepest seaport.
Bloomberg news report quoted the industrialist as disclosing that the paperwork was submitted in late June 2025, representing a significant step in a project the Africa’s richest man first mulled in March this year as part of his group’s investments to boosting exports and strengthening logistics for his business conglomerate.
The news medium stated: “Africa’s richest person has applied to begin work on a seaport near his fertilizer and oil refinery plants to make it easier to export goods — including liquefied natural gas – and support the rapid growth of his industrial empire.”
Bloomberg further reported that Aliko Dangote’s plan “to build the biggest, deepest port in Nigeria took wings after he sent in the paperwork for permission in late June, he said in an interview in Lagos.”
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Dangote noted that although his group was championing the seaport project, the broader objective is to stimulate greater private-sector participation in national infrastructure development.
He told Bloomberg: “It’s not that we want to do everything by ourselves, but I think doing this will encourage other entrepreneurs to come into it.”
By its design, the proposed Olokola FTZ Deep Seaport project, which is approximately 100 kilometres from Dangote’s fertilizer and petrochemical plants in Lagos, is expected to support the Dangote Group’s export of urea, fertilizers, and liquefied natural gas (LNG).
Currently, Dangote Group is exporting fertilizer through a dedicated jetty at its Lagos complex, which also receives heavy equipment used in the refinery and the planned seaport in Olokola is expected to offer a more comprehensive and long-term solution, integrating logistics across Dangote Group’s industrial operations.
Apart from the Olokola seaport, the Dangote Group is taking steps to construct pipelines from the Niger Delta to Lagos, with the aim of enabling large-scale exports of liquefied natural gas (LNG) as well as preparing to launch a nationwide fuel distribution channel in August this year, by deploying a fleet of 4,000 gas-powered trucks
The company’s Vice President, Devakumar Edwin, projected that the construction of the LNG pipelines from the Niger Delta to Lagos could make the Dangote group surpass the output of Nigeria LNG Limited, the country’s current leading LNG exporter.
