●How Africa’s Foremost Industrialist Overcame Amosun’s Wrecking Machines to Build Ogun’s Crown Jewel
●Builder of Dreams: What Ibikunle Amosun Put Asunder, Dapo Abiodun Has Put Together
When the dust of adversity settles, only the dogged dreamer remains standing – unfazed and unflinching in his vision. Think of adversity as Ibikunle Amosun, and the dogged dreamer as Aliko Dangote. Years after the former Governor of Ogun State demolished Dangote’s cement plant in Itori, the latter resumed construction works atop the rubble of the factory. Thanks to the incumbent state governor, Dapo Abiodun.
In Itori, where the earth has thrice trembled under the weight of Amosun’s wrecking machines, a new monument to resilience is rising in the mould of Dangote Industries Limited (DIL). As you read, Africa’s richest billionaire, Dangote, has commenced the construction of a state-of-the-art cement plant, a six-million-ton-per-annum complex that defies past tribulations and speaks to the indomitable spirit of its founder, Aliko Dangote.
This project, estimated at a staggering $585 million, will feature two production lines, each with a capacity of 6,000 tons per day (TPD) of clinker, culminating in an installed daily production capacity of 12,000 TPD. Upon completion in the second quarter of 2025, this expansion will elevate Dangote Cement’s total production capacity in Nigeria to 42 million tons per annum and solidify its position as Africa’s cement colossus with a continental capacity of 57.6 million tons per annum.
But this victory was not handed on a platter. It is a triumph carved from the very rock of resilience, chiselled with patience, and tempered in the fires of bureaucratic obstruction. Indeed, the Itori cement plant is a phoenix reborn from the ashes of destruction—twice demolished, thrice resurrected.
The Hammer of Adversity
Dangote, Africa’s most celebrated industrialist, has often been described as a man of uncommon perseverance. And nowhere has his resilience been tested more fiercely than in Ogun State, where his vision for industrial expansion repeatedly met the cold steel of political hostility.
Recounting the harrowing experience during a visit to Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, Dangote revealed that the Itori cement plant was demolished not once, but twice—each time at the behest of former Governor Amosun. This was not a matter of regulatory oversight or environmental concerns. Rather, it was an open secret that Amosun reportedly demanded a staggering N4 billion kickback—a price Dangote refused to pay. What followed was an audacious display of impunity: bulldozers, escorted by a phalanx of mobile policemen and known thugs, descended upon the construction site in Oluke village, Ewekoro Local Government, levelling buildings, crushing multimillion-dollar equipment, and dashing the hopes of thousands of Ogun’s industrious sons and daughters.
This act of calculated economic sabotage was not a one-time incident. Four years earlier, Amosun had similarly ordered the demolition of 20 duplexes and 20 bungalows built for Dangote Cement’s staff quarters. Even the intervention of former President Olusegun Obasanjo could not halt the rampage. Amosun, impervious to reason, feigned ignorance even as his appointed commissioners led the assault on Dangote’s investments.
The ramifications were profound. A project that promised to create over 5,000 direct and indirect jobs was stalled, and Ogun State lost a golden opportunity to host Dangote’s crown jewel refinery and petrochemical complex. When Amosun attempted to strong-arm Dangote into ceding 40% equity in the proposed Olokola Free Trade Zone refinery, the business mogul simply moved the project to Lagos. Today, that refinery—the largest in sub-Saharan Africa with a daily refining capacity of 650,000 barrels—is situated in the Lekki Free Trade Zone, its prosperity a stark contrast to the loss inflicted upon Ogun.
A New Dawn in Ogun
With Amosun’s exit from power, Ogun has found itself under the stewardship of a leader more attuned to the rhythms of progress. Governor Dapo Abiodun, a businessman in his own right, has embraced Dangote’s vision, ushering in a new era of industrial expansion and economic rejuvenation.
Recognizing the immense potential of the Itori cement plant, Abiodun has pledged to ensure a smooth execution of the project, promising an investor-friendly climate that fosters growth rather than stifles it. Under his administration, Ogun State is rapidly reclaiming its status as Nigeria’s foremost industrial hub. Beyond Dangote’s investment, the state has witnessed an influx of enterprises eager to leverage its strategic location and robust infrastructure.
The rebirth of Dangote’s cement plant in Itori is emblematic of a broader economic renaissance in Ogun. It is a testament to what can be achieved when business and governance align for the greater good. More than just a cement factory, this project stands as a beacon of resilience, a reminder that true visionaries do not retreat in the face of adversity—they rebuild, they expand, and ultimately, they triumph.
Triumph of Grit Over Greed
As construction hums to life once again in Itori, one cannot help but marvel at the sheer audacity of Dangote’s perseverance. The foundation of this factory is not just cement and steel; it is the distilled essence of resilience, the unwavering commitment of a man who refuses to be cowed by transient obstacles.
In years to come, as towering silos rise above Itori’s skyline and the air vibrates with the chug-chug of industry, history will remember this moment—not just as the birth of another cement plant, but as the day Ogun State chose progress over pettiness and industry over intrigue.
