Dangote, Amosun clash over demolition of Ogun cement factory

Aliko Dangote, President of Dangote Industries, has alleged that his cement plant in Itori, Ewekoro Local Government Area of Ogun State was demolished twice under the administration of former Governor Ibikunle Amosun.

According to Dangote, the second demolition even included the factory’s fencing.

In response, Amosun dismissed the claims, stating that Dangote lacked the necessary approvals for the structures in question.

During a visit to his new cement factory in Itori, Dangote expressed gratitude to Governor Dapo Abiodun for convincing him to resume construction on the plant. Now nearing completion, the facility is expected to commence operations next year.

Dangote said: “I think it is good we have it on record that the (cement) factory we are visiting now in Itori, you know it was because of His Excellency (Dapo Abiodun) that we came back.

“That factory was demolished twice. We started, and Governor Amosun demolished it. The second time, we started again; he demolished not only the factory, including the fencing, so we left.

“But, right now, we are coming because of His Excellency my brother, Prince Dapo Abiodun. We are now back.”

He said the facility will feature two 6,000t/day clinker production lines, covering limestone crushing, cement packaging, and shipping, further solidifying Ogun State’s status as an industrial powerhouse.

He said: “Dangote Cement is Africa’s leading cement producer with 52.0Mta capacity across the continent, of which almost 70% of our production is based in Nigeria. Our Obajana plant in Kogi State is currently the largest in Africa with 16.25Mta of capacity across five lines; the Ibese plant in Ogun State has four cement lines with a combined installed capacity of 12Mta; Gboko plant also in Benue state has 4Mta; and Okpella plant in Edo State has 3Mta. By the time we deliver Abidjan and Itori, we will be at 61mm tons per annum next year.

“It is on record that our investment in cement manufacturing made Nigeria self-sufficient in the product, effectively ending importation and marking its transformation into a cement exporting nation.

“We repeated the feat in the production of fertilizer as Nigeria is now self-sufficient, with the surplus going for the export market thereby generating foreign exchange earnings for the country.

“We rolled out automotive gas oil (AGO) in January 2024 and Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) in September 2024 from our 650,000 barrels per day petroleum refinery located in Ibeju-Lekki. Other products from the refinery include aviation fuels, LPG, and carbon black.

“The refinery can meet domestic demand for all refined petroleum products. Today, we have repeated the cement story, where a country that was once a net importer of a product, is now exporting refined petroleum products.

“Additionally, we have also commenced the production of Polypropylene at our petrochemical complex.

“At Dangote Industries, our goal is to make Nigeria self-sufficient in whatever we consume, because we have the natural resources for the domestic manufacturing of these products and commodities.

“This is tested by the influx of many manufacturing firms setting up their plants here. I especially would like to commend specially, my good friend and brother, the Governor of Ogun State for your vision, and deliberate policies that focus on attracting enterprises through immense support for the private sector which is now attracting investors”.

“We have also received tremendous support and encouragement from both the traditional ruler and the good people of Itori land, which enabled the speedy takeoff of the project.

“Similarly, we enjoyed such tremendous support from the traditional rulers in Yewa Land and host communities of Ibese Cement Plant. We are grateful for such an overwhelming show of partnership and support and ask that this same level of support be extended to the operations of the plant.

“Nigeria is a growing economy; the developmental challenges are quite enormous and require concerted efforts to overcome them. This is why private companies should complement the government’s efforts. It is in this light that we, at Dangote Industries, continue to demonstrate our belief in this nation and its people and make investments that are targeted towards transforming the economy of the nation through our work in Ogun State as we have done elsewhere.

While reacting to the allegation, Senator Amosun, who spoke through his Media Aide, Lanre Akinwale said that Dangote did not possess requisite approvals for constructing the structures he alleged were demolished.

The former governor said: “We want to appeal to Alhaji Dangote to avail the public of the requisite approvals for the construction of the structures he alleged were demolished.

“This will, at least, help the public to put the issue in proper context and for us to know what exactly his grouse is.

“For us, as a government, we believed that there could not be two governments in a state, and Dangote, therefore, could not operate above the law or under a different set of laws.

“It is important to note that at the commissioning of his Ibese Cement factory, Dangote praised the Amosun administration to high heavens for its promotion of investments in Ogun State and for facilitating the commencement of the cement factory after eight years of frustration as he then alleged by other administrations.

“Dangote is just one of the many ongoing concerns in Ogun State, and the Amosun administration is on record to have attracted over 500 companies to the state and was acknowledged by the World Bank as one of the top three states ensuring Ease-of-Doing-Business in Nigeria.

“While we will not give vent to this obvious mischief as it is deliberate, we will advise Alhaji Dangote to furnish the public with details of the land acquisition with relevant planning approvals, and let us engage in a constructive conversation therefrom.”

“However, while we will wait to hear from him, we would like to state that not all Nigerians can be compromised, bullied or blackmailed. The notion that everyone has a price is an expression applicable only to people with weak foundations and questionable upbringing. This is why some of us will continue to uphold high standards in all our undertakings, irrespective of whose ox is gored.”