Nigerian billionaire and industrialist Aliko Dangote when he landed in Lamu for the groundbreaking for Dangote East African Refinery/HANDOUTNigerian billionaire and industrialist Aliko Dangote has explained the unusual relationship between him and former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo, revealing why the former Head of State often refers to him as “my boss”.
Dangote described Obasanjo as “the father of Africa” and praised him for playing a critical role in ensuring that one of his major investments in Nigeria was completed despite widespread doubts that the project could succeed.
“The father of Africa, former President Olusegun Obasanjo,” Dangote said during the groundbreaking ceremony for the planned Dangote East African Refinery in Lamu.
“He is an old man but you have to believe me, he has a spirit of a 50-year-old,” he added.
Dangote said Obasanjo frequently refers to him as his boss whenever the two meet, although he joked that the description was not accurate.
“Anytime we come together, he always calls me ‘my boss’, which is not true,” Dangote said.
He then explained that the former president earned a unique place in the history of his business empire when he served as a key overseer of one of Dangote’s early large-scale industrial projects.
“But he was actually my site manager when I was building five million tonnes of cement factory in 2004,” Dangote said.
According to Dangote, the project faced significant scepticism, with government officials warning Obasanjo that the businessman would not be able to deliver the ambitious factory.
“When I was building five million tonnes of cement factory in 2004, every government official told him, ‘Look, do not believe in Aliko. It will not happen,’” he said.
Dangote said Obasanjo nevertheless backed the project and ensured that it was completed.
“Nobody had ever built that kind of factory in Africa, but Obasanjo made sure that we built it and commissioned it just a few days before he left office,” he said.
The remarks came as Dangote launched plans for his latest major African investment- the Sh2 trillion Dangote East African Refinery in Lamu. Obasanjo was among the guests.
The $16 billion project is expected to have a processing capacity of approximately 700,000 barrels of crude oil per day, placing it among the largest planned refining facilities globally.
The refinery is expected to process crude from Kenya’s Turkana oilfields alongside supplies from other African producers and international markets.
Dangote has said the deep-water Lamu port was an important factor in selecting the location, particularly because it can accommodate large vessels transporting crude oil.
The project is being positioned as a major investment in Kenya’s energy and industrial sectors, with the potential to create thousands of jobs and attract supporting businesses around Lamu.
