The President and Chairman of Dangote Industries Limited, Aliko Dangote, on Tuesday urged the Federal Government to promptly convene a national retreat to address Nigeria’s ongoing electricity challenges.

He warned that continued power outages could hinder the country’s industrialisation efforts and economic growth.

Dangote made the call during the official national launch of the National Industrial Policy 2025 in Abuja, which carried the theme: “From Policy to Productivity: Implementing Nigeria’s Industrial Future.”

The policy was developed in response to a struggling manufacturing sector, hampered by unreliable electricity, high production costs, limited access to finance, infrastructure gaps, and heavy dependence on imports.

The launch was attended by senior government officials, industry leaders, and development partners, with President Bola Tinubu represented by Vice President Kashim Shettima.

Dangote emphasized that, without a stable electricity supply, Nigeria would face significant challenges in creating jobs, boosting industrial productivity, and sustaining economic growth.

“One of the things that I want to advise Your Excellency, Mr Vice President, is to call a national forum where we will have a one- or two-day retreat and resolve the issues of power. Because without power, Mr Vice President, there is no way in any country you can create growth or create jobs. So, power means growth. No power, no growth. So we must make sure that we tackle this issue,” he said.

His remarks were met with applause from participants, including the Vice President. Dangote highlighted that, while government efforts to promote industrialisation were commendable, the persistent electricity deficit remained the foremost barrier to manufacturing expansion and job creation.

“We know what you call industrial policy; it is actually very, very important because the government cannot create jobs. They can only facilitate. And I think they have already given us whatever we need to create jobs. The policies that they have put in place are very good. Nigeria is a very big market. Not only that, this is a market where we are supposed to be serving other African nations,” he added.

However, he emphasized that policy incentives alone would not suffice without robust infrastructure and measures to safeguard domestic industries.

“But one thing that we need is not only the policy. The policy is there. If you look at the incentives that we have for people to invest in Nigeria, actually, they are even more than what we need. The only thing that is remaining is the protection of industries,” he added.

Dangote warned that excessive imports remain a major threat to local manufacturing.

“Even if you give us
zero-interest loans, free land and power, if there is no protection, there is no way any industry will thrive here. Importation of anything is importation of poverty and exportation of jobs,” he stated.

He also lamented that, due to unreliable electricity, many manufacturers now spend more on generating power than on producing goods.

Nigeria continues to face persistent electricity supply challenges, with power generation often disrupted by gas shortages, infrastructure vandalism, and maintenance shutdowns. A recent gas maintenance exercise caused a temporary reduction in generation capacity, leading to widespread outages that affected households, manufacturers, and businesses alike.