Aliko Dangote, Africa’s wealthiest man and president of Dangote Refinery, has claimed that powerful interests within Nigeria’s oil and gas industry are actively working to undermine his $20 billion, 650,000-barrel-per-day refinery project in Lekki, Lagos.

Speaking at an investor forum in Lagos over the weekend, as reported by Semafor, Dangote accused a long-standing “cabal” of attempting to sabotage the refinery. He said these groups had profited immensely from government-subsidized fuel imports and are now resisting both the refinery’s success and the removal of petrol subsidies initiated by the Tinubu administration.

“These groups are not giving up easily,” Dangote said, adding that they have funded opposition to the subsidy removal and are working against the smooth operation of his refinery.

Despite the ongoing resistance, Dangote expressed confidence in prevailing. “The fight is not over,” he stated. “But I’ve been fighting all my life, and I am 100 percent sure I will win.”

The Dangote Refinery began petrol sales in September 2024, significantly reducing Nigeria’s reliance on imported fuel. This shift came after President Bola Tinubu formally ended fuel subsidies during his May 2023 inauguration speech.