Nigeria should be generating 60,000MW of electricity – Dangote

President of Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, has questioned Nigeria’s low electricity generation, arguing that the country’s power output is unjustifiably low given its potential and industrial capacity.

Speaking during a tour of the Dangote Refinery in Lagos, Dangote highlighted that his conglomerate currently generates over 1,500 megawatts (MW) of electricity solely for internal use. He stressed that it is unacceptable for Nigeria to be generating only between 4,500 and 5,000 MW, stating that a country of Nigeria’s size should be producing at least 60,000 MW.

“We, as a company, produce over 1,500 MW for our own operations. There’s no reason Nigeria should be generating just three times that. We should be at 50,000 to 60,000 MW,” he said.

He pointed to the successful construction of the Dangote Refinery as proof that large-scale industrial projects can be executed in Nigeria, including in the energy sector.

“What we have done here shows nothing is impossible. The same approach can be applied to the power sector. There’s no justification for Nigeria generating only 5,000 MW,” Dangote added.

He argued that developing Nigeria’s power infrastructure is less complex than building a refinery and emphasized that this task cannot rest on government alone. He called for more robust private sector participation in power generation and distribution.

“What we’ve done here is more challenging than producing 25,000 to 30,000 MW of electricity along with the necessary transmission and distribution infrastructure. But it’s not the government’s job alone,” he said.

Dangote reiterated that the power sector had already been privatised and urged Nigerian investors to stop exporting capital abroad. Instead, he called on them to reinvest locally to strengthen the national economy.

“The sector is privatised. We, Nigerians, especially those with wealth, need to stop sending money abroad. We must show confidence in our economy and leadership if we want others to invest,” he asserted.

Dangote also linked capital flight to Nigeria’s underdevelopment, criticising those who embezzle public funds and stash them overseas instead of investing in the country.

“Corruption exists everywhere, but the real problem here is that stolen money is taken abroad. That money serves no purpose—it doesn’t help their families, and it doesn’t grow our economy,” he said.

Looking ahead, Dangote revealed his ambition to become the world’s largest fertiliser producer within the next 40 months, aiming to scale production to 12 million tonnes.