President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has commended the Dangote Group for its significant contribution to Nigeria’s economic growth, citing the conglomerate’s strategic investments in key sectors as instrumental in boosting domestic production, creating jobs, reducing dependence on imports, conserving foreign exchange and strengthening the country’s industrial capacity.
The President gave the commendation during a visit to the Dangote Group pavilion at the ongoing 32nd Nigeria Economic Summit in Abuja on Monday. He was represented at the event by Vice President Kashim Shettima.
Tinubu praised the Group’s performance across its business operations, highlighting the critical role of private-sector investments in expanding productive capacity, stimulating economic activities and supporting national development.
The Dangote Group has investments spanning cement manufacturing, fertiliser production, sugar refining, salt processing and petroleum refining.
These investments contribute to local value addition, employment generation and the development of domestic supply chains, while supporting efforts to reduce Nigeria’s dependence on imported products.
He said his administration is creating conditions for public and private sectors to invest, expand and generate productive employment.
Dangote Group is the second biggest employer of labour after the Federal Government.
The 2026 Nigeria Economic Summit, themed ‘Growth That Works: Delivering Jobs, Productivity and Shared Prosperity’, was declared open by the President, who used the occasion to defend the Federal Government’s ongoing economic reforms and emphasise the importance of industrial harmony and private-sector-led growth.
The summit brings together policymakers, business leaders, investors and other stakeholders to discuss practical strategies for accelerating economic growth, improving productivity, generating employment and ensuring that the benefits of economic expansion reach more Nigerians.
The President’s commendation underscores the importance of sustained collaboration between government and the private sector in building a more productive, competitive and resilient Nigerian economy.
He said Nigeria has performed below its potential for far too long, but “there is no shortcut for economic development.”
Through its investments in strategic industries, the Dangote Group remains a major private-sector participant in Nigeria’s industrialisation drive, with the potential to deepen local manufacturing, strengthen supply chains and support the country’s broader economic development objectives.
Through the Dangote Group’s diversified operations, the conglomerate has established a substantial presence across critical sectors of the economy, providing products and services that support construction, agriculture, manufacturing, energy and other productive activities.
One of its investments is the Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals complex in Lagos, which has the potential to transform Nigeria’s downstream petroleum industry by increasing domestic refining capacity and reducing the country’s reliance on imported refined petroleum products.
“We came to rewrite the story of a nation that has performed below its potential for far too long,” Tinubu said.