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By Etim Etim

There was a mild drama at Our Saviour’s Church, Tafawa Balewa Square, Lagos on Wednesday, January 8, 2025 when the presiding cleric veered off from his sermon to address business magnate, Aliko Dangote, who was seated in the front row with other dignitaries directly. Speaking off the cuff, the vicar pleaded with Dangote not to abandon Nigeria at these very challenging times. ‘’I want to address our brother, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, who is here with us… and to plead with him to go back on whatever good plans he has about Nigeria. Sir, that investment in steel you have been thinking about, please, don’t abandon the idea. Nigeria is counting on you. Your investments are not for this generation alone. Don’t abandon the country…’’, the Vicar and Archdeacon of Ikoyi parish of the church, the venerable Folorunso Oreoluwas Agbelusi pleaded. The congregation was stunned by the cleric’s unexpected remarks, with some applauding, while others looked on with apparent amazement. The import of the cleric’s impassioned entreaties were not lost on the audience, among whom were Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu; Governor of Ogun State, Dapo Abiodun; Chairman of Zenith Bank, Jim Ovia; former CBN governor, Joseph Sanusi; bankers and other dignitaries. Dangote himself, looking visibly stunned, nodded gently and managed a smile as the vicar made his case.

The event was a thanksgiving service to celebrate the 90th birthday of elder statesman and culture icon, Mr. Frank Abiodun Aig-Imoukhuede, which fell on that same day. Dangote is a close family friend of the Aig-Imoukhuede’s and is always available at the family’s events, including church service, although he is a devout Muslim. In August 2021, the business mogul was also at the same church during the funeral service of late Pastor (Mrs) Emily Aig-Imoukhuede, the departed wife of the nonagenarian we were honouring on Wednesday.

Aliko Dangote had previously announced that he would no longer proceed with his plans to invest in the building of a steel plant in Nigeria because of the frustrations he suffered in the hands of government officials while trying to get his $20 billion refinery and petrochemical complex to commence production. While conducting journalists around the complex last June, he spoke of roadblocks mounted by different government agencies to cripple the business, indicating that the cabals in Nigeria’s oil industry are more powerful than the drug cartels of Mexico and Colombia. He told the visiting journalists (I was among them) that he regretted going into the refinery business and that he was holding back on his planned investment in steel development since the country didn’t seem to appreciate his efforts. Dangote was specifically miffed by the decision of government’s regulatory agencies to push for fuel importation despite his refinery’s capacity to meet domestic consumptions with excess for export. It has the capacity to refine 640,000 barrels of crude oil per day, although the NNPC cannot provide that much due to massive oil theft and other issues.

The visiting reporters and media executives were stunned by Dangote’s revelations and many, including this writer, asked him not to be daunted by his ugly experiences. In the weeks that followed the media tour, journalists rose in unison in their commentaries and editorials to condemn corrupt government officials for their selfishness, greed and lack of patriotism in insisting on importation. Since then the Federal Government has made some efforts to ameliorate Dangote’s misgivings; these include crude oil sale in Naira to local refiners and discontinuation of the push for importation of fuel.

It is not clear if the business tycoon was sufficiently persuaded by Vicar Agbelusi’s appeals to change his mind. But one thing is clear: this nation needs more of Dangote’s unquantifiable business acumen and patriotic zeal. I just wish that others will step up to be counted.

The cleric’s comments also reflect a deep sense of helplessness among Nigerians that the government has failed in its basic duties and that only the likes of Aliko Dangote can salvage the situation. I commend Vicar Agbelusi for his sense of purpose. This is why I like these so-called Orthodox churches. Their leaders have a deeper understanding of their purpose.

The stunted development of Nigeria’s steel industry as exemplified in the moribund Ajaokuta Steel Complex which has been abandoned since the 1980s is one of the reason the nation’s industrial base has not grown. Steel is a major input in industrial production, required in construction, infrastructure, buildings, manufacture of tools; ships; trains; cars, etc. Nigeria imports $4 billion worth of steel every year, according to Minister of Steel, Shauibu Audu who spoke at National Metallurgical Development Centre, Jos. ‘’The President wants us to reverse this trend; he wants to ensure that most of the steel consumed in Nigeria is produced locally to reduce pressure on foreign exchange’’, the Minister said in a typical Nigerian official rhetoric and ‘’sweet mouth’’.