‘If $23bn refinery didn’t work, I was dead’ – Dangote

Nigerian billionaire businessman, Aliko Dangote, has claimed his $23bn refinery project is the “biggest risk” of his life.

Dangote stated this in an interview with Forbes on Monday.

He opened up about the challenges and risks he encountered in setting up the venture.

“It was the biggest risk of my life. If this didn’t work, I was dead,” Dangote said.

Despite the refinery’s groundbreaking capacity of 650,000 barrels per day and status as Africa’s largest, Dangote admitted the journey to its completion was filled with uncertainties.

Dangote also made it clear that Nigeria and Africa cannot keep depending on foreign investment.

He said: “We have to build our own nation by ourselves.

“We have to build our own continent by ourselves, not [rely on] foreign investment.”

According to him, Africa has been “a mere dumping ground for finished products,” and his refinery is “a pivotal step in ensuring that Africa has the capacity to refine its own crude oil, thereby creating wealth and prosperity for its vast population.”