Aliko Dangote: Let Me Apologise

You know, our people do not really have a sense of history. When it was announced that the giant Dangote Refinery has finally crackled to life, the first thing that came to my mind was that exact moment when the idea of building the largest-ever refinery in the world hit him.

Was he in the toilet doing the usual when, like Galileo, the eureka moment came, or was he on his private jet on the way to Maldives for a game of polo? If you ask me, he would most likely have been in Otedola’s house eating amala when suddenly power went off. He would have looked at his friend and said, “But Femi, why light go like that na? See, I don stain my agbada.” Femi would have said, “Wait, make them on generator,” and he would have screamed, “Cuppy, leave the headphones for a second and rush and go and switch on the Gen, your uncle has poured pepper on his agbada and you know we have a meeting at the Vatican.”

It would have been at that moment the ever fast-thinking Alhaji would have shouted “Femiiiiiiiiiii. I have an idea to solve this problem once and for all. Why not build the largest ever refinery so that the issue of fuel scarcity, power generation will be solved once and for all.”

Femi would have looked at him with suspicion, wondering how that would solve their immediate problem, when Cuppy walked in and in that her ever so beautiful sonorous voice would have said “Dad, there is no fuel. I have sent them to go and queue for fuel. Don’t worry they will be back before Alhaji finishes his amala.”

Alhaji would have looked at Femi and said, “You see?”

This project garnered its fair share of skepticism including me. So many times, the hardworking imagemakers of Dangote Group, my brother Tony, will be calling me and engaging me. In frustration he will shout, “Edgar, we should be hailed for the huge confidence we are showing in this economy,” and I will say, “please let me finish my afang so I can think straight.”

Call Alhaji anything you want to call him; historical epochs are made like this. Visionary positions and a huge resolve to deliver despite herculean challenges. Some of us lost faith o, joined the naysayers and abused, heckled and even called for all sorts, but today, as the refinery starts life with the first six million barrels of crude and a push for approval to start the distribution of aviation fuel, diesel and others, all I can say from this my Shomolu seat is – Alhaji, I on behalf of the millions who doubted you, called you names and swore to high heavens that snow will fall in Daura before the refinery will work sincerely apologise to you.

Mbok, forgive us, na mumu we all be. Kai, well-done sir and to the whole team at Dangote Group, including the very beautiful young lady on the second floor who refused to give me her phone number the other day, I say congratulations and a job well-done. Dreams are made of this. Thank you.