By: The Guardian

Aliko Dangote, the founder and CEO of the Dangote Group, has been declared The Guardian’s Person of the Year for 2025 in recognition of his transformative role in advancing Nigeria’s industrial and energy independence. The landmark achievement underscoring this honor is the operationalization of the Dangote Refinery, the world’s largest single-train refinery, which began supplying locally refined petrol and diesel in 2025—ending decades of Nigeria’s paradoxical dependence on imported fuel despite its vast crude oil reserves.

Dangote’s refinery, with a capacity of 650,000 barrels per day and plans to expand to 1.4 million, is projected to save Nigeria an estimated $25–$30 billion annually in foreign exchange, stabilize the national currency, and create tens of thousands of jobs. Its success marks a psychological and material victory in a year characterized by global trade tensions and domestic economic challenges.

Beyond refining, Dangote’s conglomerate has reshaped key sectors—cement, sugar, salt, flour, and fertilizers—through a strategy of backward integration and import substitution. His pan-African industrial footprint, particularly in cement production across the continent, demonstrates a model of large-scale, locally rooted industrialization that challenges reliance on foreign multinationals.

While celebrated as an economic savior by many Nigerians, Dangote has faced criticism over perceived monopolistic practices and tensions with regulators. Critics point to high cement prices in the past and express concerns over concentrating national fuel supply in a single private facility. Nevertheless, his execution of complex, capital-intensive projects in a challenging business environment has redefined African entrepreneurship and inspired a new narrative of self-reliant industrial growth.

Dangote’s journey—from trading commodities to building a continental industrial empire—coupled with his substantial philanthropy through the Aliko Dangote Foundation, cements his legacy as a defining figure in Africa’s contemporary economic story. His selection as Person of the Year acknowledges not only a historic breakthrough in energy security but also a broader vision of African industrialization built on grit, strategic patronage, and long-term investment.