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Dangote to Employ Additional 17,000 for Refinery Project

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dangote Refinery Project

By Modupe Gbadeyanka

Additional 17,000 personnel would be employed in the coming months by Dangote Industries Limited for the refinery project in Lagos, the President/Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the firm, Mr Aliko Dangote, has disclosed.

At the moment, the human capacity at the Dangote Petroleum Refinery project site stands at 40,000 but the owner of the project, who is Africa’s richest man, wants to increase it to 57,000.

A total of 29,000 Nigerians and 11,000 foreigners are working on the soon-to-be-completed oil facility, which has the capacity to refine 650,000 barrels of crude oil per day. It is the world’s largest single refinery project.

This is a ratio of around three Nigerians to one expatriate presently, which will increase local talent with the new additions.

“When we started the project, we were supposed to bring a lot of foreign workers, but as we speak today, we have less than 11,000 expatriates.

“We have almost about 29,000 Nigerian workers that are getting massive training. We are also creating a lot of capacity in the country, which will be of great help for future oil projects in Nigeria, most especially with the opening up of the oil industry through the new Petroleum Industry Act (PIA), Mr Dangote informed Arise TV.

“It means that the country can boast of human capacity needed in the oil and gas sector. Most of these Nigerians can compete anywhere in the world in terms of electrical, welding, mechanical erection etc. We have actually created massive capacity,” he added.

 The business mogul said construction of the Dangote Petroleum Refinery was informed by his desire to help the federal government tackle the lingering issue of petroleum products importation.

“It makes me feel terrible to see a country as big and resourceful as Nigeria with a high population, importing all its petroleum products. It is very painful.

“So, we decided it is time to tackle this challenge. We tried before in 2007, but we were not able to make it happen. So, we jettisoned the idea,” Mr Dangote explained.

He added, “What actually inspired me is when you look at what happened in a country like India where entrepreneurs went ahead and created about five million barrels-per-day oil refinery.

“This country does not have as much oil as Nigeria. Nigeria is here sitting on over 2.4 million barrels per day at a point and we do not refine the oil we produce. Here, we have a country of over 200 million people and we are importing 100 per cent of what we consume.

“It is not sustainable. If you go to some places in Nigeria, you will discover that there are petrol stations that are not working.

“This actually pushed me into saying that this is a big challenge, which needed to be addressed urgently. Because I’m a Nigerian and if there are issues to be sorted out, I should be one of those who will bring solutions to our national problems.”

Mr Dangote described the refinery project as an investment that would transform the economies of countries in sub-Saharan Africa.

“This refinery is going to help transform, not only the oil sector, it is going to assist to transform the entire economy of Nigeria and all the countries in sub-Saharan Africa. It is unfortunate that all sub-Saharan African countries are importing petroleum products, and this is not what it is supposed to be.

“It is not the government’s responsibility alone to address the challenge of petroleum products importation in Nigeria. No, we have to collaborate with the government to tackle these issues of petroleum importation. It will put millions of people directly and indirectly at work.

“The refinery is going to massively transform the economy. By this transformation, the government will have more money to take care of infrastructure, health, education. So, it is a massive transformational project,” he added.

Mr Dangote emphasized the need for the country to shift attention from crude oil export and diversify the economy.

“We should not as a country be comfortable with generating revenue from crude oil export alone because tomorrow, people may not need crude oil. If we don’t move from crude oil to something else, we will have issues as a country. This is one of the things that I took upon myself to help address in this country,” he said.

Modupe Gbadeyanka is a fast-rising journalist with Business Post Nigeria. Her passion for journalism is amazing. She is willing to learn more with a view to becoming one of the best pen-pushers in Nigeria. Her role models are the duo of CNN's Richard Quest and Christiane Amanpour.

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Aradel Appoints Nnoli Akpedeye as Independent Non-Executive Director

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Nnoli Akpedeye

By Adedapo Adesanya

Aradel Holdings Plc has appointed Ms Nnoli Akpedeye as an Independent Non-Executive Director, effective February 2, 2026, following a resolution passed at the company’s board meeting held on January 28, 2026.

In a notice to shareholders, Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Limited, and the investing public, the company disclosed that the appointment is subject to ratification by shareholders at its next Annual General Meeting (AGM). The board also authorised the Company Secretary, Mrs Titiola Omisore, to notify relevant regulators and take all necessary steps to give effect to the decision.

Ms Akpedeye brings more than 36 years of multi-disciplinary experience spanning oil and gas, engineering, legal and arbitration services, and management consulting. Her career reflects a strong blend of technical expertise and strategic leadership, with competencies in management and strategy, business process engineering, organisational development and change management, as well as entrepreneurship development.

Until 2014, she served as Technical Planning Manager for Shell Exploration and Production Companies in Nigeria, where she led the execution of high-impact, mission-critical projects. Over the course of her career at Shell, she held roles across civil engineering design, planning and construction, project management, facility management, technical audit, and business planning and strategy, gaining extensive local and international exposure.

Beyond her corporate career, Ms Akpedeye is an entrepreneur and advocate for capacity building in engineering and energy. She runs Contego Servo Limited and Perfectus Laundi Limited, and in 2013, she launched the “Introduce a Girl to Engineering” programme aimed at encouraging secondary school girls in Nigeria to pursue careers in engineering and related STEM fields.

She is a Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN)-registered engineer, a Fellow of the Nigerian Society of Engineers (FNSE), and a past President of the Association of Professional Women Engineers of Nigeria (APWEN). She is also a founding member of the Women in Energy Network (WIEN) and serves as a passionate ambassador for science, technology, engineering and mathematics education.

In addition, Ms Akpedeye is the Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Compos Mentis Legal Practitioners and the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Compos Mentis Foundation.

Her appointment further strengthens Aradel Holdings’ board with deep industry knowledge, governance experience, and a strong track record in leadership and institutional development, as the company continues to pursue its strategic objectives within Nigeria’s energy landscape.

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Geregu Power Chooses Sean Manley as Interim CEO

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Geregu Power

By Aduragbemi Omiyale

An interim chief executive has been appointed by Geregu Power Plc and he is Mr Sean Manley, with his appointment to take effect from Monday, February 2, 2026.

A statement from the power generating firm disclosed that his appointment is subject to the approval of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) and the shareholders of the company at the next general meeting.

In the notice, the organisation expressed confidence that the appointee would use his wealth of experience and leadership to “add significant value to the company.”

Mr Manley is said to be “a seasoned power-sector professional with a proven track record in delivering complex energy projects in developing markets.”

He is armed with more than 30 years’ experience spanning sales, business development, project implementation, supply-chain management, and OEM-led delivery within the power sector.

Over the course of his career with Siemens, Mr Manley has developed deep technical and operational expertise in thermal power generation, covering plant construction, commissioning, major overhauls, and long-term operational support.

He is widely regarded as a practical problem-solver, with a demonstrated ability to close projects in challenging operating environments and brings extensive international experience and strong intercultural skills acquired across multi-jurisdictional engagements.

His areas of expertise include the delivery of large, complex infrastructure projects, management of multi-million-dollar business units, client and stakeholder relationship management, business and market development, as well as logistics and procurement analysis critical to successful project execution.

The appointment of Mr Manley comes after Mr Femi Otedola divested his stake in the energy firm last month to support the recapitalisation of First Bank of Nigeria, a subsidiary of FBN Holdings Plc, which he chairs.

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MTN CEO Ralph Mupita Joins Dangote Fertiliser Board as IPO Plans Pick Up

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Dangote Fertilizer bag

By Adedapo Adesanya

Dangote Industries has appointed the chief executive of MTN Group Limited, Mr Ralph Mupita, to the board of its fertilizer business as it prepares to expand and list the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Limited.

The chief executive of Dangote Fertiliser Limited, Mr Vishwajit Sinha, confirmed this development on Wednesday ahead of the company’s initial public offering (IPO) on NGX this year.

Mr Mupita spearheaded the listing of MTN Nigeria’s on the Nigerian bourse in 2019, making it the second most valued company on NGX after BUA Foods Limited.

The South African engineer has headed Africa’s largest telco for more than five years after joining the group in 2017 as chief financial officer (CFO). Before that, he held senior positions at South African financial services group Old Mutual Limited.

Dangote Fertiliser produces about 3 million tons of granulated urea annually and plans to be the largest maker globally by 2028. To do this, it needs to expand its $2.5 billion complex in Lagos, and will start building a facility in Ethiopia this year.

Last year, the owner of the organisation, Mr Aliko Dangote, assured that the fertiliser business would list its shares on the local bourse like its sister companies, Dangote Cement, Dangote Sugar, and NASCON Allied Industries.

“In the next 40 months, our fertiliser business should generate $20 million in revenue per day. We are pushing hard. We expect to reach over $70 billion in revenue and possibly pay dividends of $3 to $4 billion. Our philosophy is to always think big,” he said when he welcomed some stakeholders in the Nigerian capital market to his $20 billion Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals in Lagos in June 2025.

Expanding regional trade could see agriculture grow to beyond $1 trillion by 2030, according to the African Development Bank (AfDB) and this creates a huge market for fertilizer firms on the continent, although the majority of farmers still struggle with limited access to finance, infrastructure and markets.

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