–To be largest world fertilizer producer in 2 years

Aliko Dangote has revealed plans for a 20,000MW power project, signalling a major expansion of his industrial footprint beyond oil refining, cement, and fertiliser.

He disclosed this in an interview with Makhtar Diop, Managing Director of the International Finance Corporation.
“We are now going into power—20,000 megawatts,” he said, adding that Africa’s most pressing needs remain energy, fertilisers, and industrial inputs.

“And the needs of Africa are petroleum products, fertilisers,” Dangote said. “Today, in about two and a half years, we will be the largest fertiliser company in the world.

We are putting up 12 million tons of urea. We are opening up mines of potash and phosphate in Congo and Brazil. We are building the biggest deep-sea port with an 18-meter draft. We are doing LNG.”

He added that the expansion is being driven by stronger cash flows and increased financial flexibility. “We are now actually free of assets, and we can actually raise more money. Our cash flow now is very, very strong,” he said.

Dangote did not provide details on financing or timelines for the power project, but a 20,000MW addition would significantly reshape Nigeria’s struggling electricity sector. The country currently has an installed generation capacity of about 13,000MW, much of which is not consistently available due to infrastructure challenges.

The announcement comes alongside the rapid expansion of the Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals, a $20 billion facility with a capacity of 650,000 barrels per day, currently being scaled up toward 1.4 million barrels per day.

The refinery has already improved Nigeria’s fuel supply situation and boosted regional availability, particularly during recent global disruptions linked to Middle East tensions.
Dangote also linked his investments to a broader vision for Africa’s industrial self-sufficiency. “We will open Africa by demonstrating that we believe in Africa, by investing our money in Africa,” he said. “Because if I don’t invest my own money, I can never go to any conference and convince people that Africa is a good place to come and invest. But right now, I have a voice… I have demonstrated that these things are possible,” he said.

By Aliyu Musa

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) has confirmed that national crude oil production has grown from a historic low of 960,000 barrels per day in 2022 to an average of 1.71 million barrels per day and a peak production of 1.84 million barrels per day in 2025, owing to the establishment of the integrated energy security for pipelines in the Niger Delta.

Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPC Ltd, Engr. Bashir Bayo Ojulari, made the disclosure at the Parliamentary Roundtable on the State of Pipelines Security which held at the National Assembly, in Abuja, on Wednesday.

Speaking on the success of the security arrangement, Ojulari explained that it was not accidental, and that it involved an “integrated energy security model that combines legislative and executive policy alignment, actionable intelligence, kinetic deployment capabilities, regulatory oversight, industry cooperation, and community‑embedded surveillance mechanisms”.

He said the resurgence of production due to the effective tackling of the twin menace of oil theft and pervasive pipeline sabotage has led to the restoration of investors’ confidence in the nation’s oil and gas sector.

In his welcome address, the President of the Senate, Sen. Godswill Akpabio, represented by Senator Jimoh Ibrahim, called for collaboration among agencies and stakeholders in resolving all challenges impeding production growth.

On his part, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, who was represented by the Leader of the House, Hon. (Prof.) Julius Ihonvbere, urged the forum to evaluate the progress made so far with a view to ensuring fairness and equity.

The Parliamentary Roundtable on the State of Pipelines Security was convened by the Joint Senate and House of Representatives Committee on Petroleum Resources. It had in attendance the Senate President, Speaker of the House of Representatives, National Security Adviser, Minister of Defence, and representatives of oil industry regulatory agencies.

The Roundtable also featured presentations by the Chief of Defence Staff, Inspector General of Police, Director General of the Department of State Services, Commandant General of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defense Corps, and private security companies.

By Aliyu Musa

The Group Chief Executive Officer, NNPC Ltd, Engr. Bashir Bayo Ojulari, has stated that the Company is currently in talks with partners with proven track record of refining and petrochemical operations, in order to build sustainable, self-financing, and profitable solutions for its refineries.

Ojulari disclosed this while fielding questions during a fireside chat themed “Securing Nigeria’s Energy Future at NIES 2026”, at the ongoing Nigeria International Energy Summit (NIES) 2026 in Abuja, on Wednesday.

The GCEO observed that historically, the focus on refineries has largely been on financing and EPC delivery, noting that the approach has now moved towards getting the operating model right for sustainability.

“Getting refineries up and running requires three critical elements: financing, a competent EPC contractor, and world-class operational capacity. That is exactly our focus at the moment,” he noted.

The GCEO added that NNPC Ltd is now better positioned for commerciality and sustained profitability, driven by ongoing transformation agenda aimed at securing Nigeria’s energy future.

On the recent gains made in the reduction of crude oil theft and improved pipeline availability, the NNPC Ltd GCEO attributed the success to strengthened collaboration with upstream operators, noting that renewed engagement and trust have significantly proven to be a major boost for investor confidence, commercial outcomes, and productivity.

“When the current leadership of NNPC Ltd was appointed, we initiated a fundamentally different engagement model with our partners which focused on improving systems and processes for win-win outcomes in production acceleration and contracting,” Ojulari said.

“There was also the decisive intervention by the Federal Government to mitigate security challenges in the Niger Delta through a structured surveillance framework, including the deployment of AI-enabled solutions and security personnel. This has helped stabilise operations, ensure production consistency, and deepen collaboration with host communities through targeted Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives that address fundamental social issues,” the GCEO noted.

On the recently-launched NNPC Ltd Gas Master Plan 2026, Ojulari explained that the Company is firmly focused on delivering in-country value through gas utilisation initiatives, describing the plan as a customer-driven strategy designed to stimulate market growth and shared prosperity.

According to him, the Plan is closely aligned with the Federal Government’s Decade of Gas Initiative, which positions gas as a pillar of economic growth, industrialisation, and energy transition.

On leadership and governance, Ojulari commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, for the unprecedented inclusion of industry experts on the NNPC Ltd Board and Senior Management Team, describing it as a strategic move that strengthens commercial discipline and global competitiveness.

He added that the blend of internal expertise, international experience, and a highly skilled workforce positions NNPC Ltd as a commercially viable and performance-driven national energy company that will be the pride of all its stakeholders.