Ajaokuta Steel Industry May Never Work - Dangote Says (Video)

Alhaji Aliko Dangote, President of Dangote Petroleum Refinery, has asserted that the long-stalled Ajaokuta Steel Complex may never become operational, arguing that global technological progress has already rendered the project outdated.

Dangote, who spoke on Tuesday in an interview with journalists, stressed that while no nation can thrive without a functional steel industry, Ajaokuta’s prospects remain dim.

The business mogul said, “The steel we are talking about, we will definitely look at the opportunities of doing that. There is no nation that you can build without a steel industry. And honestly, between us here, Ajaokuta will not work. We can keep deceiving ourselves. We can keep being passionate about this. It’s not possible.”

Conceived in 1979, the Ajaokuta Integrated Steel Complex was designed to host a Metallurgical Process Plant, an Engineering Complex and auxiliary facilities. However, more than 45 years later, the multi-billion-dollar project has failed to take off, dogged by mismanagement and corruption.

In January 2024, PUNCH Online reported that President Bola Tinubu approved the restart of the light steel section of the plant after discussions with India’s Jindal Steel Group, which pledged $5bn investment in a new steel project in Nigeria during the G20 summit in New Delhi in September 2023.

Speaking further, Dangote, warned that Africa must avoid becoming a dumping ground for outdated industrial plans and imports that undermine job creation. 

“But really, you know, come to think of it, we should be very careful, not only in Nigeria, but in the entire African continent. Because people are importing poverty into our nations and exporting our jobs out. And we have the most, you know, growing population in the world, the continent.”” he cautioned.

Watch Video Here: 

𝐕𝐈𝐃𝐄𝐎: 𝐀𝐣𝐚𝐨𝐤𝐮𝐭𝐚 𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐞𝐥 𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐲 𝐌𝐚𝐲 𝐍𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐤, 𝐒𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐃𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐨𝐭𝐞

The President of Dangote Petroleum Refinery, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, has said that the moribund Ajaokuta Steel Complex may never work, insisting that global technological… pic.twitter.com/cJObHkRU6h

— Punch Newspapers (@MobilePunch) September 17, 2025