How we’re building Nigeria’s workforce — Dangote Group

By Victor Ahiuma-Young

The Dangote Group says it is not only building Africa’s largest industrial projects but also shaping the future of Nigeria’s workforce — creating over 150,000 jobs, training hundreds of engineers, and empowering communities nationwide.

Vice-President, Oil and Gas, Dangote Industries Limited, Mr. Devakumar Edwin, made this known during a presentation after a tour of the Dangote Refinery and Dangote Fertiliser Limited by the Labour Writers Association of Nigeria (LAWAN) and the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Lagos State Council.

He disclosed that at the two plants, company employees are drawn 22% from host communities and 50% from Lagos State, adding that, on a national scale, Dangote Industries is the second-largest employer of labour in Nigeria, after the government.

According to Edwin, Aliko Dangote’s passion lies in creating jobs, contributing to Nigeria’s GDP, and building local capacity.

“We invest heavily in training — sending engineers abroad to learn, developing host community skills, and turning Nigerians into highly sought-after experts,” he said, noting that international companies have recruited several Dangote-trained staff.

The Dangote Group Vice President said: “From engineers to artisans, from youth entrepreneurs to skilled technicians, we are not just building factories — we are building people.”

Edwin explained that 900 Nigerian engineers are currently undergoing intensive skill development — one month of classroom instruction followed by a full year of on-the-job training, working daily alongside world-class industry experts.

He said that during the construction phase of the refinery and fertiliser projects, about 60,000 skilled Nigerians were engaged, gaining practical experience in construction, testing, and commissioning. In total, he added, the projects have generated about 150,000 direct and immediate indirect jobs.

Edwin stressed that Dangote’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives go far beyond industrial operations. These include mobile clinics offering free consultations, diagnoses, and treatments for ailments such as malaria and fever; Construction of schools, hospitals, and community health centres; Microcredit facilities and merit-based scholarships; Eye-care and health-awareness campaigns and Computer training centres, vocational programmes, and youth entrepreneurship development.

He also revealed that the group has partnered with the Lagos State Government and Siemens to train and employ 250 artisans from host communities for work at the construction site.

On the economic front, Edwin said Dangote’s ventures guarantee a large, assured market for Nigerian crude oil, generate huge foreign exchange earnings from exports, and stimulate growth in downstream plastic and service industries.

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