ABUJA: Vice President Kashim Shettima has called on Nigerians to show respect and support for the multibillion-dollar investments of Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, stressing that protecting such ventures is vital to safeguarding the country’s economic future.
Speaking at the opening of the 2025 Nigerian Economic Summit in Abuja on Monday, Shettima described Dangote as an institution and a pillar of national development whose commitment to Nigeria should inspire collective patriotism.
The vice president particularly cited the $20 billion Dangote Refinery, which has a daily production capacity of 650,000 barrels, as a strategic national asset crucial to Nigeria’s growth and global competitiveness.
His remarks come in the wake of last week’s industrial dispute involving oil workers under the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), who protested the alleged dismissal of about 800 unionised employees at the refinery.
The strike was later suspended after the intervention of the Minister of Labour and Employment, Muhammad Dingyadi, and the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu.
Shettima commended Dangote for choosing to invest heavily in Nigeria rather than taking his capital abroad, saying such patriotism must be reciprocated by Nigerians.
Aliko Dangote is not just an individual, he’s an institution and a leading light in Nigeria’s economic parliament, Shettima said. How we treat this gentleman will determine how outsiders judge us.
If he had invested $10 billion in Microsoft, Amazon or Google, he might today be worth between $70 and $80 billion. But he chose to invest in his own country, and we owe it to future generations to protect and preserve that decision.
The vice president also appealed to both labour unions and the organised private sector to exercise restraint and patriotism when resolving industrial disputes, warning that reckless actions could undermine national progress.
I call for caution, retrospection and a deeper sense of patriotism from both labour and the private sector, he said. It’s not about holding the entire nation to ransom over a minor dispute. Nigeria is greater than PENGASSAN, and greater than each of us.
Shettima’s comments come as the federal government continues to push for collaboration between the private sector and labour groups to sustain Nigeria’s economic rebound amid global uncertainties.
