ABUJA, Nigeria, Aliko Dangote, Africa’s richest businessman and chairman of the Dangote Group, has called on the Nigerian government to convene an emergency national power summit to address the country’s chronic electricity shortages. Dangote made the appeal during the official launch of the National Industrial Policy 2025 in Abuja, warning that unreliable power supply remains the single biggest threat to Nigeria’s ambition of becoming a $500 billion industrial economy. He urged government leaders and industry stakeholders to dedicate an urgent one‑ or two‑day retreat focused solely on resolving the deep‑rooted power crisis.
Dangote stressed that without stable and consistent electricity, Nigeria’s manufacturing sector and broader industrial base will continue to struggle, with frequent blackouts undermining productivity, investment, and job creation. “No power, no growth,” he said, arguing that reliable energy is foundational for economic expansion and competitiveness. His comments reflect growing frustration among business leaders who see power instability including recent gas maintenance shutdowns that have triggered nationwide outages as a critical barrier to growth.
The call for a national power forum comes as the National Industrial Policy 2025 places energy reform at the center of Nigeria’s strategy to revitalize manufacturing and reduce reliance on imported goods. Government officials, private sector representatives, and development partners attended the event, where discussions increasingly highlighted the need for structural changes in the energy sector to unlock industrial potential and strengthen investor confidence.