President of the African Development Bank (AfDB) Akinwumi Adesina has described the Dangote Refinery and Petrochemical Plant projects as a “game-changing initiative” that will spur development and deepen regional integration.
Adesina said this after a tour of the crude oil refinery and petrochemical production plant owned by Dangote Industries Limited on Saturday.
“I was very impressed with Dangote’s refinery and petrochemical industrial zone. A $16 billion investment. The largest single-train refinery in the world. It shows Africa’s power to industrialise. A game-changer for Nigeria & Africa. Well done @AlikoDangote! I am proud of you,” he said.
The AfDB boss who is also Nigeria’s ex-Minister of Agriculture lauded the employment created by Dangote through the refinery.
“Dangote Refinery and Petrochemical Industrial Zone employ 38,000 people: 11,000 expatriates and 27,000 Nigerians. The impact of industrialization is massive. It delivers quality jobs for the youth. Let’s do more to drive industrialization in Africa!,” he added.
He described Dangote as “an inspirational and visionary business leader. For anybody to have done what I have seen here, I think that person deserves world-class kudos for that… I see a company that I will proudly call Africa’s growth accelerator company.”
Adesina said AfDB would continue to work with the Dangote Group to do more for Africa. He said the bank’s industrialisation strategy included identifying and backing “African regional champions” like the Dangote Group.
He added that the African Bank was willing to assist the Dangote Group in such areas as agriculture including rice and dairy products as well as cement expansion into other countries.
