Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has described the Dangote Refinery as evidence that Africa has the capacity to deliver major projects on a global scale.

Sanwo-Olu spoke on Thursday during the Lagos-New York 2026 Learning Journey at the refinery in Lekki. The programme was hosted by the Aliko Dangote Foundation and the Forum of Young Global Leaders.

Reflecting on the transformation of the Lekki corridor, the governor said the site occupied by the refinery was once open water and had to be reclaimed and developed.

“A decade ago, the ground beneath our feet was open water. Everything built here had to be imagined, funded and reclaimed from the sea,” he said.

Sanwo-Olu noted that the refinery, with a production capacity of 650,000 barrels per day, demonstrated Africa’s ability to execute projects at significant scale. He also cited the Lekki Deep Sea Port, Free Zone and Blue Line rail as part of the infrastructure supporting investment in the corridor.

The governor said Lagos was already confronting challenges likely to shape Africa’s future, including pressure on roads and energy infrastructure and the needs of a rapidly growing young population.

“We came together to talk about scale, but scale is not an abstract concept to us. It is the daily reality of governing over 25 million people,” he said.

Sanwo-Olu said his administration was working to create systems and infrastructure that would make it easier for future investors and entrepreneurs to operate, rather than relying on individual efforts.

“A system that relies on one man’s extraordinary willpower is not a business model,” he said, adding that the real measure of the refinery’s success would be whether future developers could build more easily.

He thanked Aliko Dangote and the organisations involved in the programme for their contributions to Lagos’ development and urged the participating Young Global Leaders to translate discussions about Africa’s future into concrete partnerships.