Africa’s richest man's industrial empire, Dangote Industries Limited has begun preliminary work on a massive deep-sea port project in Nigeria’s Olokola Free Trade Zone, marking the conglomerate’s latest move to expand beyond manufacturing into maritime logistics and export infrastructure.
The proposed port, which will cover more than 10,000 hectares along Nigeria’s Atlantic coastline, is expected to sit across parts of Ogun and Ondo states and serve as a major gateway for imports, exports and regional trade.
The company said the project forms part of its Vision 2030 strategy to position the group as a globally competitive industrial powerhouse while strengthening Nigeria’s role in African trade and supply chains.
The development comes as Nigeria seeks to reduce pressure on overstretched ports in Lagos, including Apapa and Tin Can Island, which handle the bulk of the country’s cargo traffic but continue to face congestion, high logistics costs and infrastructure bottlenecks.
The proposed Olokola port is also expected to complement existing large-scale industrial assets built by the group, including the $20 billion refinery and petrochemical complex in Lagos, which has already reshaped fuel supply dynamics in Nigeria and parts of West Africa.
