Aliko Dangote, Africa’s richest individual, has pointed out that transporting goods from Lagos to Accra can cost more than shipping from Spain to Nigeria.
In a conversation with Makhtar Diop, Managing Director of the International Finance Corporation, he emphasized that inefficiencies in Africa’s trade systems continue to make regional commerce unnecessarily expensive, despite shorter distances.
He noted that moving cargo within West Africa remains surprisingly costly compared to intercontinental routes. “It costs more to ship from Lagos port to Accra than from Spain to Lagos,” he explained, underscoring the imbalance in logistics pricing.
Dangote further argued that trade between African neighbours is hindered by weak infrastructure and poorly connected transport networks. He added that most shipping operators serving the continent are not African, which affects pricing and efficiency.
He also highlighted travel restrictions as another major obstacle to integration. According to him, business mobility across Africa is heavily constrained. “Somebody like myself, I need 38 visas to move around,” he said, questioning how investment can thrive under such conditions.
He stressed that the difficulty in moving goods across borders, even within nearby countries, remains a major setback. In some cases, he noted, border delays can last days, further discouraging intra-African trade.
On industrial development, Dangote leads the Dangote Group, which spans cement, fertiliser, and oil refining operations across 17 African countries and holds a strong position in the continent’s cement market.
Dangote Cement, active in 11 countries, recorded over $3 billion in revenue in 2025 and is pursuing an expansion strategy that includes a $1 billion investment to raise production capacity from 55.17 million tonnes to 80 million tonnes within four years.
A key pillar of his industrial portfolio is the $20 billion Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals facility, one of the world’s largest single-train refineries, with capacity of 650,000 barrels per day and plans to expand to around 1.4 million barrels per day to boost regional fuel supply and reduce import dependence.
He also oversees the Dangote Fertiliser plant, among the largest in Africa, aimed at cutting reliance on imported fertilisers and improving agricultural output across the continent.
Dangote maintains that these large-scale investments will only reach their full potential if Africa removes barriers to trade. “Free movement of people, free movement of goods and services, these are critical areas,” he said, reinforcing the need for deeper economic integration.