Dangote Blasts Power Crisis: Says Nigeria Should Be Generating 60,000MW

President of the Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, has expressed frustration over Nigeria’s persistent power supply crisis, stating that the country has no reason generating less than 60,000 megawatts of electricity. Speaking during a recent tour of the Dangote Refinery in Lagos, Dangote noted that his conglomerate alone produces over 1,500 megawatts strictly for internal consumption, a feat that underscores the private sector’s potential in solving the nation’s energy deficit.

According to iReporter Online, the business mogul questioned why Nigeria, with its abundant natural and human resources, continues to struggle with national electricity output hovering around 4,500 to 5,000 megawatts. He emphasized that the level of output remains grossly inadequate for a country of Nigeria’s size and population, insisting that achieving 60,000 megawatts is both realistic and necessary for economic growth.

Highlighting the success of his refinery project, Dangote remarked that if such a massive industrial undertaking could be executed in Nigeria, then scaling power generation infrastructure should not be viewed as impossible. According to iReporter Online, he went further to argue that boosting power generation to 30,000 megawatts would actually be less challenging than building the Dangote Refinery, especially if the right policies and private sector investments are in place.

Dangote stressed that the responsibility of fixing Nigeria’s power problem should not rest solely on the government. He reminded Nigerians that the sector had been privatised and urged wealthy individuals and private firms to stop exporting capital and instead reinvest in the local economy. According to iReporter Online, he criticized the practice of capital flight, linking it to underdevelopment and economic stagnation, especially when funds acquired through questionable means are kept abroad, unused, and unaccounted for.

He asserted that even in countries with worse corruption records, economic growth thrives due to domestic reinvestment. Dangote also announced that in the next 40 months, he aims to become the largest fertiliser producer in the world, targeting 12 million tonnes in production capacity—another indication of his long-term investment commitment to Nigeria.