Aliko Dangote, founder of Dangote Industries Limited, announced plans to build a multi-billion-dollar deep-sea port at the Olokola Free Trade Zone [1].
The project aims to transform Nigeria's maritime infrastructure by reducing shipping congestion and improving the efficiency of exports. By expanding logistics capacity, the development is intended to attract global investment in the petrochemical, fertilizer, and logistics sectors while creating new jobs.
Located in Ogun State, the facility will be one of the largest of its kind in the region. The port is expected to span over 10,000 hectares [2]. This scale is designed to accommodate larger vessels and increase the overall volume of trade moving through the Nigerian coast.
Dangote said the project is a strategic move to boost the nation's trade capacity. The integration of the port within a free trade zone is intended to streamline the movement of goods from production sites to international markets.
The investment is described as a multi-billion-dollar undertaking [1]. This financial commitment reflects a broader effort by Dangote Industries to dominate the industrial and logistics landscape in West Africa.
By focusing on the Olokola region, the project leverages existing industrial zoning to accelerate construction and operational readiness. The initiative seeks to position Nigeria as a primary maritime hub for the continent, reducing the reliance on neighboring ports for heavy industrial shipments.
“The project will span over 10,000 hectares”
The development of a massive deep-sea port by a private entity like Dangote Industries suggests a shift toward private-sector-led infrastructure growth in Nigeria. By integrating a port with a free trade zone, the project creates a vertically integrated supply chain that could lower the cost of exports for Nigerian goods and increase the country's competitiveness in the global petrochemical and fertilizer markets.
