Aliko Dangote has called for urgent investment in local manufacturing and power infrastructure, urging Nigeria to reduce dependence on imports.
He made the remarks at the Nigerian Academy of Engineering induction ceremony in Victoria Island, Lagos, where he was honoured as a Distinguished Honorary Fellow.
Dangote stressed that industrial growth cannot be achieved without strong electricity infrastructure and local production capacity.
“True economic independence is impossible without technical sovereignty. We must fabricate, design and build what we consume. We will remain the fiercest advocates for local content, which is key.
“Distinguished fellows, our task is urgent. We must build power grids. This power is important; we must build it. I keep repeating, we must build it. Together, let us engineer a Nigeria that works not just for some, but for everyone,” he said.
He highlighted the role of engineering innovation in projects like the Dangote Refinery, noting that it was built with a higher capacity than many global counterparts.
“Our vision has always been clear, to make Nigeria, and by extension Africa, self-sufficient in products we once heavily imported, and to demonstrate that this ambition is both practical and achievable at scale,” he said.
Dangote also cautioned that artificial intelligence could reshape engineering, urging professionals to take control of its development.
Separately, he revealed plans to expand industrial investments beyond Nigeria, including a proposed refinery project in East Africa.
