The President and Chief Executive of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, has initiated plans to build what he describes as Nigeria’s largest and deepest seaport in Olokola, Ogun State—marking a major expansion of his industrial footprint and a strategic entry into maritime logistics.

In an interview with Bloomberg on Monday in Lagos, Dangote revealed that he submitted the required documentation for the project in late June.

The proposed seaport, situated about 100 kilometres from his refinery and fertilizer complex in Lekki, Lagos, is designed to facilitate exports of fertilizer, petrochemicals, and liquefied natural gas, while improving access for imported machinery and raw materials.

“It’s not that we want to do everything by ourselves, but I think doing this will encourage other entrepreneurs to come into it,” Dangote stated, expressing optimism that the project would spur more private investment into Nigeria’s largely underdeveloped port infrastructure.

Dangote currently relies on a privately built on-site jetty to export urea and fertilizer, as well as receive heavy equipment for his refinery.

If approved, the proposed Atlantic seaport would compete with existing facilities in Lagos, including the Chinese-funded Lekki Deep Sea Port, which began operations in 2023.

The project also signals Dangote’s return to the Olokola site, where earlier plans to locate his refinery and fertilizer plant were abandoned following disputes with local authorities.

However, the disputes now seem to have been resolved under the current administration, paving the way for renewed activity at the Olokola site.

Dangote also intends to export liquefied gas from Lagos, a plan that includes building pipelines from Nigeria’s oil-rich Niger Delta, according to the group’s Vice President, Devakumar Edwin, in a separate interview.

“We want to do a major project to bring more gas than what NLNG is doing today,” he said, referring to Nigeria LNG Ltd., a joint-venture between the government, Shell Plc, Eni SpA and TotalEnergies SE, which is currently the continent’s largest exporter of LNG.

“We know where there is a lot of gas, so run a pipeline all through and then bring it to the shore.”