Enoh hails Dangote as Nigeria’s industrial champion

The Minister of State for Industry, John Enoh, has labeled Aliko Dangote as Nigeria's leading industrial figure and the key element behind the effective rollout of the Nigeria Industrial Policy (NIP). He also mentioned that his department aims to elevate the manufacturing sector's contribution to gross domestic product (GDP) to approximately 20 percent by 2030 and 25 percent by 2035.

Enoh delivered his praise while heading a prominent group on an extensive visit to the Dangote Petroleum Refinery, which has a capacity of 700,000 barrels per day, as well as the Dangote Petrochemicals facility and Dangote Fertiliser Limited located in Lagos.

He remarked, "He is Nigeria’s leader in industry. In fact, it feels simplistic to refer to him merely as Africa’s richest individual,” explaining that Dangote’s attendance during the NIP launch in February “added significant stature to the event.”

The minister revealed that his office has achieved its initial 90-day implementation target set by the industrial policy and emphasized that the GDP targets for manufacturing are closely linked to ongoing investments from Dangote’s enterprises.

He additionally stated that negotiations are in progress with relevant parties about a naira-for-crude deal for the refinery and expressed optimism that these discussions would reach a positive conclusion.

Regarding the visit's results, Enoh mentioned that his ministry would present Dangote with a three-point proposal focused on industrial training and skill enhancement. This includes support for about 65,000 more trained workers necessary for the refinery’s forthcoming expansion phase, downstream development of the petrochemicals sector, and enhanced cooperation on free trade zone initiatives, such as the one recently established in Ondo State.

The minister also conveyed his satisfaction with the degree of automation at the refinery, noting that human presence on-site has largely been minimized to security personnel.

In response, Aliko Dangote, the Founder and President/Chief Executive of Dangote Industries Limited, expressed his appreciation to President Bola Tinubu for appointing Enoh to the industrial role, describing the minister’s dedication to the sector as unparalleled compared to previous officials.

He commented, “I must also extend my gratitude to His Excellency, Mr. President, for bringing in individuals like Senator Enoh.

We have seen numerous ministers of industry, but the level of commitment we observe from him is unmatched,” asserting that “His dedication is unwavering.”

Dangote also expressed his support for Tinubu’s goal of transforming Nigeria into a $1 trillion economy, announcing that his conglomerate has set its own target of $100 billion within that broader vision by 2030. “Mr. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s vision of a $1 trillion economy is certainly attainable. That is why we have extracted from that ambition of $1 trillion to establish our own goal; we believe we can certainly attain $100 billion out of that $1 trillion,” he stated.