President of the Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, has urged the Olusegun Obasanjo Leadership Institute (OOLI) to take the lead in developing Africa’s political leadership by providing specialised training for presidents, prime ministers, governors and top government officials across the continent.
Dangote made the appeal on Friday while hosting the leadership of OOLI and the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library during their visit to the Dangote Petroleum Refinery in Lagos.
According to a statement issued by Prof. Elvis Otobo, Media Consultant to the Deputy Chief Executive, Professor Adedeji Daramola, Dangote described the institute as an important vehicle for strengthening leadership across Africa.
“The Olusegun Obasanjo Leadership Institute is exactly what Africa needs at this critical time. With President Obasanjo and other outstanding African past presidents at its core, OOLI is uniquely placed to deliver experiential leadership workshops and bespoke training for African leaders who genuinely want to transform their nations.” the statement quoted Dangote as saying.
He further encouraged African leaders to adopt lifelong learning and make use of the institute to improve governance and drive development.
“If Africa is serious about changing its development story, then our leaders must embrace continuous learning.
“OOLI offers the right platform—rooted in African experience, yet globally oriented—to make that happen.m,”he said.
During the visit, former President Olusegun Obasanjo shared the story of a private conversation with Dangote that he said laid the foundation for Nigeria’s transformation into a leading cement-producing nation.
Obasanjo recalled inviting Dangote for a meeting when the businessman was still engaged in cement importation.
“Asking me to see you at 7am when you are in Abuja and I am in Lagos is an impossibility.
“So I asked him, ‘What time can you see me?’ He said, ‘9am.’ At that time, he was importing cement. I wanted somebody I could talk to,” Obasanjo said while narrating the exchange.
The former president said he asked Dangote why he preferred importing cement despite Nigeria’s abundant limestone reserves.
“He told me honestly, ‘It is more profitable for me to import and sell than to produce here.’ That was the truth. So I asked him, ‘What can I do to make you produce cement locally?’
I wanted to learn from him. I wanted to know what he required so that I could achieve what Nigeria needed,” Obasanjo said.
According to Obasanjo, Dangote’s response shaped a major policy decision that changed the country’s industrial future.
“He said, ‘Make it unprofitable to import cement as it is.’ I asked how. He said, ‘Tie my ability to import cement to my commitment to produce cement.’ I said, ‘You can go.’ You are hearing this for the first time,” Obasanjo added.
Dangote said the policy shift had produced remarkable results, with Nigeria now ranking among the leading cement-producing nations.
“Today, Nigeria produces more cement than Saudi Arabia. We are the largest producer of cement in Africa and the Middle East,” he said.
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He credited Obasanjo’s intervention with reshaping the direction of the Dangote Group’s cement business and paving the way for expansion into several African countries, including Nigeria, Ghana, Cameroon, the Republic of Congo, Côte d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Tanzania and Zimbabwe.
“Obasanjo’s leadership strategic mapping changed the trajectory of our business. That decision has benefitted multiple African economies. This is the kind of practical leadership OOLI can teach to presidents and policymakers.”
Dangote also expressed optimism that the institute would play a significant role in addressing leadership challenges across Africa, particularly in governance, economic transformation and regional cooperation.
Responding on behalf of the institute, the Deputy Chief Executive of OOLI, Prof. Samuel Adedeji Daramola, who represented the Director-General, retired Lt.-Gen. Martin Luther Agwai, thanked Dangote for endorsing the institute and praised the refinery’s impact on Africa’s industrial development.
He said, “We appreciate the enormous impact of the Dangote Petroleum Refinery and the entire conglomerate on Africa’s economy.
“OOLI’s mandate is clear: to raise leaders who deliver measurable results.”
Daramola added that the institute had assembled an international team of diplomats, academics, practitioners and experienced facilitators to build leadership capacity across the continent.
“Our programmes are experiential, practical, and grounded in real-world leadership challenges.. With the right curriculum and facilities, OOLI is ready to support presidents, prime ministers, governors and senior officials committed to transformational leadership,” he said.
He reaffirmed the institute’s commitment to becoming Africa’s leading centre for leadership development with a focus on governance, peacebuilding, economic transformation and sustainable development.